John Perry

About John Perry

John Perry was director of policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) for 12 years until early 2003. He led on a range of issues including housing investment, housing strategies and welfare reform. Since March 2003 he has been based in Nicaragua, where he helps co-ordinate projects with low-income farming families, including the installation of solar panels in homes without electricity. He is also a part-time policy adviser to the CIH

Digging housing out of a hole?

21 November 2011 | John Perry

The government’s new housing strategy does not quite live up to the hype. But at least it recognises that the issue has to move way up ministers’ ‘to do’ list  Read more

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Regeneration hits the rocks

4 November 2011 | John Perry

The coalition government has jettisoned Labour’s regeneration programmes, leaving many deprived communities high and dry as a result Read more

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Homelessness: the worst is yet to come

13 September 2011 | John Perry

The number of homeless people is rising rapidly and is likely to continue to grow. With no sign of an upturn in the economy, a perfect storm is brewing Read more

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Council house evictions: a kneejerk reaction

14 August 2011 | John Perry

Plans to evict council tenants involved in last week’s rioting are based on a number of false arguments. The government is simply looking for a headline-catching ruse to give the impression that it is responding robustly Read more

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Inequality, unemployment and unrest

10 August 2011 | John Perry

When inequality runs rampant, the unequal run riot as we have seen on the streets of English cities over the past four nights Read more

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Get real about public service business failures

1 August 2011 | John Perry

Oliver Letwin’s claims about open public services ignore the fact that it will be the public sector picking up the tab for business failures  Read more

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Mixed up over mutuals

21 July 2011 | John Perry

The government’s plan to establish public sector mutuals – run by staff – will face a number of difficulties, not least European Union competition rules Read more...

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Competition not so light

14 July 2011 | John Perry

The prime minister might have toned down the references to competition in launching the Open public services white paper but the direction of travel is clear Read more

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The alternative Almo

1 July 2011 | John Perry

Creating a new form of arm’s length management organisation could benefit tenants while also allowing borrowing at levels beyond the cap now facing councils Read more

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