Over 8 million people in England were living in overcrowded, unaffordable or unsuitable housing in 2019, according to a report by the National Housing Federation. Since then, the numbers have got worse. Whole sections of our society, including people of all ages, are affected by the housing crisis, but those caught in poverty bear the brunt of this injustice. The scale and consequences of the housing crisis have been further exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is a national scandal.

In response to the crisis, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York commissioned the 'Coming Home' report, which was published in 2021. The report set out vital actions for the Church, Government and other Stakeholders to take with a focus on building better communities and more truly affordable homes, not just houses.

You can read the report here:

• Coming Home: Tackling the Housing Crisis Together (Executive summary)
• Coming Home: Tackling the Housing Crisis Together (Full report)

Since Coming Home was published, a growing number of parishes and dioceses have been stepping up to the challenge of thinking through how they might provide some decent, affordable homes on their land and property. This is being supported by an Archbishops Council housing project and other new organisations that have been set up specifically to enable churches to adopt the recommendations of Coming Home. These different initiatives are working collaboratively and together form a 'church housing ecosystem'; you can read more about their current projects and the support they offer at www.churchhousing.net