Reimagining Progress: Beyond Growth

Progress has been a simple equation: economic growth measured by GDP. The endless upward climb promised solutions to everything from poverty to pollution. But the reality hasn't lived up to the promise. It's time to redefine progress before the changing climate becomes irreversible.

The Allure of Growth

Growth is appealing. We see it in thriving gardens and children reaching their full potential. No wonder we embraced it as the economic ideal, adopting the "more is better" mantra. Yet, nature teaches us that endless growth is unsustainable. Everything eventually reaches maturity, focusing on health and well-being rather than constant expansion. As Janine Benyus, a pioneer in biomimicry, reminds us, trees prioritise distributing resources to their entire being, stopping growth once that function is compromised.

The Growth Addiction

Cheap fossil fuels in the 20th century fueled rapid growth, which became ingrained in our economic systems. This has led to policies – from credit creation to dividends – that rely on perpetual growth, even if it doesn't translate to well-being. We've inherited economies that prioritize growth over prosperity.

Desperate Measures

The consequences of clinging to this outdated model are clear. Governments resort to desperate measures to reignite growth: deregulation leading to bubbles and crashes, dismantling worker protections, and privatisation undermining public services. Even accounting practices distort the picture, assigning a price tag to "ecosystem services" while simultaneously enabling fossil fuel exploration despite climate change commitments.

A New Definition of Progress

Instead of chasing endless growth, we should strive for well-being for all within a thriving planet. After all, the housing crisis is about inequality and uneven distribution. We can build many more homes and still have a catastrophic housing problem. It requires a new definition of progress: a dynamic balance that meets everyone's basic needs while protecting our environment. The challenge lies in creating economies in wealthy nations that can thrive without constant expansion.

The Housing Sector's Role

Building a new home creates around 50 tonnes of CO2. Steel, concrete, and aluminium production contribute heavily to carbon emissions. Here's where Housing Associations can lead the charge:

Measure and Analyze Emissions: Understand your environmental footprint by measuring energy consumption across existing properties.
Focus on Refurbishment: Stop building new and channel expertise and resources towards retrofitting existing buildings instead of constructing new ones.
Green Renovation: Develop a plan to insulate, improve ventilation, and install renewable heating systems in all properties.
Empowering Tenants: Educate tenants on energy conservation and offer incentives for sustainable choices.
Green Jobs Revolution: Train and equip yourselves to handle energy-efficient renovations, creating new green jobs.

Time for Change

A radical review is needed now. We must move beyond the outdated concept of growth and focus on building a future that prioritises well-being and a healthy planet. Leading Housing Associations have the potential to drive this revolution.

Comments

Leadership and Seductive Innovation

Whatever sector, whatever industry you are in, these are challenging times. It is all hands to the pump to find the right course. And for those fearing their very survival, it is understandable that the search for that new, powerful idea should dominate. But success will never lie in new technology alone; it is also critical to look in the right direction, not to get waylaid into seemingly seductive solutions. Look at the business and be honest, are a series of technological innovations likely? And if they are, will they make the impact on your industry that you anticipate? For service organisations in particular, constant technomania is probably an absolute distraction from the core business. Worse, it will beguile you into believing there is a promised land; that there is a magic bullet that will solve the organisation’s problems. The techno-fetishists earn their crust by promoting ever whackier and unachievable ideas. New jobs are being created, innovation labs are springing up. Cha...

Homing in on the public sector

Published in The Guardian, 8th February 1995

Homelessness: A Growing Crisis and the Role of Housing Associations

As homelessness in the United Kingdom continues its relentless rise, reaching over 350,000 , the pressing question remains: why are housing associations (HAs), the wealthiest players in the housing sector, doing so little to stem this tide? With millions of pounds flowing into their coffers annually, housing associations have the financial muscle to make a significant impact. Yet, their contributions to addressing homelessness seem conspicuously limited. HAs have long been a cornerstone of social and affordable housing, managing extensive property portfolios and collecting substantial rental incomes from their tenants. These funds are intended for the maintenance and expansion of housing stock, ensuring that affordable housing remains available to those who need it most. However, a closer examination reveals that the priorities of these associations have shifted over time. The increasing pressure to operate with a business-like efficiency has led housing associations to focus o...

1984 and Truth Social

How Orwell’s masterpiece can predict Trumps next steps I decided, with a grim sort of duty, to re-read Orwell. Pulled my old, dog-eared copy of Nineteen Eighty-Four from the shelf, expecting, perhaps, a historical curiosity. A powerful warning, yes, but one whose specific horrors belonged to the mid-20th century, to Stalin and the nascent Cold War fears that birthed it. Instead, I found myself gripped by a chilling, nauseating sense of déjà vu . Page after page wasn't just resonant; it felt like a dispatch from the present. Not the whole terrifying architecture of Airstrip One, not yet. But the tools, the language, the psychological distortions – they leaped off the page, smeared across the news reports from Donald Trump’s second presidency, barely four months old. It’s uncanny, and frankly, terrifying. Orwell wasn't just writing about totalitarianism; he was dissecting the mechanisms by which truth is dismantled and power becomes absolute. And seeing those mechanisms depl...

How social landlords must respond to Trump tariff impacts

Economic turmoil will have knock-on impacts for affordable housing supply chains in the UK, but it also presents an opportunity for social landlords to demonstrate resilience, argues Peter Brown Trump's tariff barrage, with a 10% baseline tariff on its goods exports to the US includes a 25% tariff on steel and aluminium imports , materials fundamental to the construction industry. Manufacturing and construction supply chains are directly in the firing line and perhaps more importantly, unforeseen turbulence creates uncertain future costs, risks of contract failure and possibly more company insolvencies. This is no longer a distant concern. How should the sector respond? Decisive action is needed. The potential impact of these tariffs, particularly on steel and aluminium, will ripple through our supply chains, inflating construction costs and jeopardising project viability. Housing organisations, from the largest G15 to the smallest community-led associations, must adopt a war-room...

Shared Ownership - a housing market fix?

Shared Ownership has given homes to around 180,000 families and it’s claimed that it offers a third way, an opportunity to house many more at a lower cost, another tenure that broadens the landlord offer. Some housing association websites go further and claim “It’s about getting your foot on the housing ladder. It’s a great alternative to renting and perfect if you can’t afford to buy a house outright.” Really? Whilst housing associations like selling them, the experiences of the occupiers can be quite different. Higher entry costs, administrative charges, rents rising annually, plus the responsibility for all repairs can mean the worst of all worlds. Why do increasing numbers feel trapped in the tenure? “It’s a step on the ladder” , yet Cambridge University found ( 2012 ) that over 12 years only 27,908 had staircased to 100%, and in many rural areas freehold ownership is expressly prohibited. They concluded that many shared owners simply cannot afford to buy their property in fu...

Redefining acceptable conduct: Using social landlords to control behaviour

Abstract The 1996 Housing Act brought ‘antisocial behaviour’ within the remit of housing legislation for the first time. This legislation is directed exclusively at those living in council housing. There still remains uncertainty about the exact nature of ‘antisocial’ behaviour. This has implications for the reasons for outlawing it and for the application of this legislation. Using data from the British Crime Survey, it is argued that there is insufficient evidence of a growth in antisocial behaviour. This legislation is directed exclusively at those living in council housing. What appears to be occurring on local authority housing estates is that a combination of, among other things, high unemployment, high child densities and lack of public funding in community and associated facilities is resulting in higher rates of vandalism. The legislation, in reality, seeks to legitimise opposition to a range of previously acceptable behaviours. For publication click here . For complete ...

8 facts you need to know about welfare reform

8 facts you need to know about welfare reform This blog is simple. It gives facts that contradict commonly held and repeated views. It debunks the myths that we hear regularly. Print it out and keep it near you. MYTH 1. Keeping the rise in benefits to only 1% is fair because it hits shirkers, not workers. Fact: 60% of the reduction falls on in-work households. Why? Because the 1% rise - which equates to a real-terms cut - affects universal benefits like child benefit and tax credits like child tax credit. MYTH 2. Spending on benefits for those out of work is out of control. Fact: the majority of all welfare spending is on pensioners - 53%. Also, benefits for those out of work is less than a quarter of the total welfare budget. Second, on average, between 2000 and 2010, welfare spending grew annually, in real terms, by only 1.75% - compared to 5.5% in the 1950s and 1960s, and 3% in the 1980s. Third, benefit spending in 2011-12 accounted for 10.4% of GDP, lower than the mid-80s ...

Will Housing Investment be Pivotal?

Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement on 26th March is poised to be a defining moment. We stand at a crossroads, with stark choices before us. The Chancellor must resist the siren song of austerity and instead embrace a bold vision of investment, especially in housing, and safeguard the vital safety net of welfare. The idea that we can achieve economic growth by slashing benefits and public spending is not just misguided, it’s downright dangerous. It’s a cruel delusion to think that we can starve the very people who need support the most and somehow expect the economy to flourish. Cutting wages and benefits for the poor, the old, the sick, and the disabled is not just morally reprehensible, it’s economically illiterate. It will only deepen inequality and stifle any hope of real progress. Instead of these shortsighted cuts, Reeves must prioritise investment in social housing. A decent home is not a luxury; it’s a fundamental human right. Building more social housing will not only provid...

Who should cast the first stone?

Published in The Guardian 18th April 1998

Housing: creative solutions

Search This Blog