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In the run-up to the General Election on 8 June, we’re part of a campaign called ‘working together for great homes’.

Led by the National Housing Federation, housing associations across the country are calling for the next Government to make investing in housing a priority.

We’re showing how vital social housing is and in ways that are perhaps less understood.

If you’re active on social media, particularly Twitter, you can follow the conversation online at #ge17housing.

Here’s a local picture of the key issues being discussed with politicians nationally.

227,000 more homes are needed across Greater Manchester between now and 2035, almost 17,000 in Bolton. We want everyone to be able to live in a quality home they can afford and we call on the next Government to help.

We’re also asking prospective parliamentary candidates for secure homes for older and vulnerable people, support for low income renters and investment for all our communities.

We’re ready to work with the next Government to tackle the housing crisis. Here’s a brief look at what we’re doing as Bolton at Home, a member of Bolton Community Homes (BCH) and part of the Greater Manchester Housing Providers (GMHP) Group.

Within Bolton, BCH will have delivered 429 new homes from affordable housing programmes between 2013 and 2021 (25 former right to buy properties will also be acquired). Bolton at Home has plans to build up to 300 more over the next three years.

As part of GMHP we’re working across several areas of public policy including housing supply, employment and skills, crime and policing, poverty, social care and health. For instance, we’ve partnered with Bolton Foundation Trust Admissions Avoidance Team to reduce hospital admissions by preventing falls. We also provide accommodation or support to aid the hospital discharge of people with mental health problems. And we have a dedicated housing officer based within the discharge team at Royal Bolton Hospital.

We also do what we can to get a better deal for renting families. We work with the council to bring empty properties back into use and repair properties to keep vulnerable residents safe, warm and dry. Bolton Care and Repair is a partnership between us, the council, Age UK and Bolton NHS that helps people who are older or disabled to repair, improve or adapt their home. We also manage homes for private landlords and have a subsidiary company that allows us to acquire more properties to address the housing shortage.

Please join us in asking the prospective parliamentary candidates, who want your vote, to put housing high on their agenda.