To the outside world, Frome is a flourishing upcoming town, regularly featured in the national media as one of the best places to live in the country.
However many hundreds of local people have a very different experience, as they struggle with rising prices and the shortage of affordable accommodation. This is the local housing crisis which Fair Housing for Frome (FHfF) was set up to address, and which it describes as Frome’s ‘Elephant in the Room’.
FHfF’s ‘Elephant in the Room’ end of year event at Frome Town Hall on Monday 3rd December followed on from its ‘Call to Action’ meeting in April, to look at three aspects of the housing crisis, and what can be done about each one.
In response to rising levels of homeless people on our streets, FHfF’s ‘Zero Nights’ scheme will provide food and shelter when the temperature drops below zero, with a special evening facility at Frome Town Hall, open to everyone who wants to come in from the cold. At the meeting, Frome Mayor, cllr Richard Ackroyd, presented a grant to support the initiative, which has already attracted over 40 offers of volunteer support. There’s a crowdfunding scheme to provide additional funding at https://www.just giving.com/crowdfunding/alison-bar clay-2?utm_term=k7NY8QZ7Z
Another aspect of the housing crisis is the shortage of genuinely affordable housing in the new developments going up around Frome. Following a very helpful overview from Somerset councilor Des Harris, FHfF shared its plans to set up a Community Land Trust, which will enable local people to jointly purchase and manage the development of homes that will be low-cost in perpetuity. FHfF will also be looking out for suitable land for the many people who’ve signed up on Mendip Council’s self-build register.
The third area for discussion and action was the private rented sector, which is increasingly the only housing option for many people on low incomes in the town.
Following a moving account of what it’s like to be a tenant, and how badly tenants are sometimes treated, FHfF announced plans to set up a tenants’ association for private tenants and a Homeshare scheme, and to promote lodging. The evening also marked the launch of the Frome Landlords Association, which will be hosting its first public event at the Town Hall at 7pm on 21st January, titled ‘What does it take to be an ethical landlord?’
The meeting ended with a quick glimpse of some of FHfF’s plans for 2019. The FHfF team would like to thank all the many people who have supported its work during 2018, and looks forward to more collaboration next year to tackle Frome’s elephant in the room.
Alison Murdoch, FHfF Development Worker
