Poverty, Justice and Housing
Vicar's letter
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Poverty, Justice and Housing |
Vicar's letter |
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This month sees the annual meeting, this year in Gleneagles in Scotland of the G7 group of richer nations to which Russia has been invited as well as for a day, the heads of government of those growing powers, India and China. High on the agenda are those related subjects of climate change and the abolition of poverty especially in Africa where most of the poorest people live. These are very difficult issues. How to help without enriching corrupt governments; how to ensure carbon emissions are reduced in richer countries and contained in the developing nations are perplexing yet vitally important questions. What is important is both prayer for the leaders of nations gathering together as well as calm and peaceful demonstrations of the support of people in our nation for tackling these issues.
I was impressed while reading Isaiah, chapter 5 recently with the prophets complaints against corrupt and unjust governments as well as against those who buy large tracts of land and build great houses so that there is no room for anyone else. I am appalled by the great density, rising to 90 dwellings per hectare, of the developments now being built in Tovil and along the river between the foot bridge by All Saints and Tovil footbridge. I do not see how so many people can decently live so crowded together with such little space to sit quietly outside or for children to play. I am aware of desperation in some households as three or four generations share too small a space and have no hope of affording a new home for some of them. Others live in great poverty because more than they can reasonably afford goes on their mortgage or rent.
I do not fully understand the economics of these matters. I suspect that government subsidy of social housing has greatly decreased in recent years. Furthermore, the great pressure on government finances at all levels, has meant that there is no money either for infrastructure - new roads, cycle tracks, health centres, schools, public transport or affordable housing. This shortage of resources is the reason why there is to be such dense housing without adequate infrastructure. We are making for great problems in the future.
I believe that it is important to hold before us the five evils identified by Lord Beveridge in the dark days of the 2nd world war: unemployment, bad housing, inadequate health care, unsatisfactorily education and poverty. The welfare state was to be the answer to eradicating these evils. If it is no longer to be done through the welfare state, other ways need to be found so that these evils can be removed.
The old testament prophets are insistent that the rich share what they have with the poor including the land. Surely we are all called to support all the concern, thinking and acting that will establish as just a society in England’s green and pleasant land.
Christopher Morgan – Jones
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