YouTube used to debate housing issues
Tuesday, 26th August 2008

Young people have been targeted for their views on housing reform through an initiative based around the popular video website YouTube, it has emerged.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) revealed that through messages on the website, young people were recommending their views on the sector to the government including issues such as benefits, homelessness and support agencies.

A set of 14 clips were uploaded to YouTube by students who have faced "real challenges" regarding their housing in their lifetimes, with each one speaking from experience as to the positives and negatives of the current system for those buying property in the UK.

Support problems were highlighted by Birmingham-based Ashanti Webb, who said that all services should be centralised into one place to help those on benefits access them, thus saving money.

She said: "There isn't a lot of information out there for us to access and if there is it's all in company jargon.

"We don't know that, you need to talk to us on our level. People should work with us."

Last month, the CIH emphasised the government's need to make houses energy-efficient in order to help people tackle "crippling" fuel bills.