A Conversation with Florence Eshalomi MP

Last Friday, our Co-Founder Richard Kennedy had the opportunity to meet Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, shortly after she stepped out of the House of Commons following the emergency debate on Gaza.

The conversation quickly turned to the deep structural failures in the UK’s housing system — and the unacceptable human cost of a market-led model that too often leaves families stuck in insecure, unsuitable temporary accommodation.

Florence’s passion for housing justice was immediately evident. It was refreshing to speak with a policymaker who is not only aware of the challenges but open to bold, practical alternatives — including the role that socially driven enterprises like Cornerstone Place can play in addressing the housing crisis at its roots.

We shared our commitment to keeping housing assets in the hands of impact-makers — a principle that ensures charities, local authorities, and community organisations are empowered not just to deliver services, but to own and shape the homes their communities need. This approach, we believe, is essential to building long-term, people-first solutions.

The discussion also covered:

• The opportunity presented by net-zero housing to address environmental and social goals simultaneously

• The need for enhanced planning and land assembly tools — such as strengthened Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers

• The importance of deep, cross-sector partnerships that move beyond short-term fixes toward lasting change

Our ongoing work in Rochdale is one example of how these ideas are already being put into practice — unlocking brownfield land, mobilising at-risk capital, and delivering sustainable homes that serve people, not markets.

We’re grateful to Florence for her time, her openness to new ideas, and her willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue. Shifting a broken system takes more than policy — it takes leaders who are prepared to listen, challenge assumptions, and act.