// Ikea calls on government to build 90,000 social homes a year by 2030
// The Swedish DIY giant launches long-term partnership with housing and homelessness charity Shelter
Ikea is calling on the government to build 90,000 social homes a year by 2030 to address the housing emergency in the UK.
The Swedish DIY giant launched a new long-term partnership with housing and homelessness charity, Shelter, which will see the them advocating for half a million people impacted by the housing emergency.
The partnership comes as the retailer says the housing crisis in the UK is worsening, with over a million households currently on social housing waiting lists and homelessness on the rise.
There are over 112,000 homeless households living in temporary accommodation in the UK, with this number likely to increase still as the cost-of-living crisis spirals.
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Ikea is set to launch a series of initiatives to help those affected by the housing emergency, aiming to increase access to support and opportunities.
From early 2023, Ikea and Shelter will train co-workers to become ‘Life at Home Experts’, and help people in precarious housing situations to understand their rights and keep hold of their homes before they reach crisis point.
This is the first time Shelter has trialled the ‘Life at Home Experts’ initiative with any partner, which will see co-workers trained by the charity to understand local and national housing issues and rights.
Ikea will also fund Housing Rights Workers, who will be based in Shelter advice hubs. The initiative aims to reach people who need housing help in their local communities.
The launch of the partnership will also see the beginning of a flagship three-year research project following the journeys of families living in social housing.
“At Ikea, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people. This ambition goes beyond just home furnishing: We want to have a positive impact on the world,” Ikea UK & Ireland country retail manager and chief sustainability officer, Peter Jelkeby said.
“Our partnership with Shelter will help us do that by providing support to the millions of people across the UK that do not currently have a place to call home.
“We’re in a national housing and cost-of-living crisis that’s hitting families and people suffering homelessness the hardest. That’s why it’s even more important for companies such as ours to take responsibility and contribute positively to the neighbourhoods we’re part of.”
