Barry White
The Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) which includes Yorkshire Housing, has launched a Tenants’ Climate Jury to find out how tenants, social housing providers and others can work together to tackle climate change in our homes and neighbourhoods. The Jury will bring together a representative and inclusive group of social housing tenants to question invited experts, where possible reach consensus, and deliver an action plan for action for adoption.
ACE’s Treasurer, Tess McMahon, a Yorkshire Housing tenant in Settle said: “”I do hope my landlord, Yorkshire Housing, is taking dynamic steps to reduce carbon emissions. I would hate to think that my gas boiler might be causing a problem. I hope their vehicles, and those of any contractors they use, are reducing their emissions with challenging targets that are robustly checked and complied with. I very much hope that their contractor who recently came across our gardens spraying paths was using a spray that did not cause harm to the insects and hedgehogs that enjoy our gardens.”
Homes account for around 25% of the North’s carbon emissions. To meet the objective of achieving net zero, the NHC estimates over one million social rented sector homes across the North will require ‘green upgrades’. However, retrofit is not just about making emissions targets, it is about delivering positive social and climate results to ensure all residents can live in a warm, sustainable home and see their bills reduced. The NHC believes that it is essential residents have a say so that their homes are refurbished according to their needs and aspirations.
In recent years Citizens’ Juries have become a popular way to involve people about how best to tackle climate change. Last year saw the House of Commons convene the national ‘Climate Assembly UK’ where 108 people from all walks of life met for six weeks to answer the question “how should the UK meet its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?” At a local level Climate Juries have been held in Leeds, Kendal, Sheffield, Oxford, Cambridge, Devonshire, and in seven London Boroughs.
The Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury will see 30 social housing tenants from across the North meet online over 10 weeks between now and September 2021.
In their final weeks the jury will work alongside expert advisors to develop recommendations, as to how tenants, social housing providers, and others can work together to tackle climate change in homes and neighbourhoods.
The findings of the Jury will be presented at the Northern Housing Summit on the 2nd and 4th of November, see: https://www.northern-consortium.org.uk/blog/the-northern-housing-summit-2021-bookings-now-open/
Source: Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) https://www.northern-consortium.org.uk/the-social-housing-tenants-climate-jury/
