A report from the housing campaign, Crisis, in collaboration with Herior-Watt University and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence indicates that around a third of housing associations surveyed said pre-tenancy affordability checks determined that the applicant would not be given a tenancy due to “too low an income or insecure finances”. According to Crisis … Continue reading Too poor for council or housing association homes
Category: “Affordable Rent”
Social Rent makes sense
David Hide reports on the difference between homes for social and affordable rent and the impact it has on residents in Horsham: why we need to insist on the inclusion of Homes for Social Rent in all Planning Applications Prior to Horsham District Council transferring its stock of council housing to the registered social landlord, … Continue reading Social Rent makes sense
The government should end its support for the Tory policy of “affordable rent”
The Labour Campaign for Council Housing is calling on the government to end support for the increasingly unaffordable “affordable rent”, introduced by the Tories. “Affordable rent” (AR) was introduced by the Tories as part of their austerity programme. It allowed rent to be charged at up to 80% of market rent. Tenants were to be … Continue reading The government should end its support for the Tory policy of “affordable rent”
No to 10 years of above inflation rent increases
The government is implementing a policy of 10 years of above inflation rent increases (CPI+1%) for council and housing association tenants. In addition it is reintroducing 'rent convergence' (see our Briefing: Why we oppose 'rent convergence'), originally introduced by New Labour to drive up council rents to housing association levels. The consultation on 'rent convergence' … Continue reading No to 10 years of above inflation rent increases
Time to end the charade of “affordable housing”
In a letter to the Chair of Homes England, Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State (Housing, Communities & Local Government) has outlined the government's “immediate priorities”. One of them is for Homes England to maximise the number of social rent homes “delivered through the allocation of remaining Affordable Homes Programme funding”. However, the letter gives no … Continue reading Time to end the charade of “affordable housing”
Social rent council homes the key to resolving the housing crisis
A survey of councils by Inside Housing to find the biggest 50 council builders shows some telling statistics. 305 councils across England, Wales and Scotland responded to our survey. Between them they completed 10,794 homes in 2023/24. This is a combined total of direct building in the Housing Revenue Account and private council owned companies. … Continue reading Social rent council homes the key to resolving the housing crisis
Campaigning for Council Housing under a Labour government
The acute housing crisis resulting from the disastrous Right to Buy policy and the domination of house building by commodity production, will not be resolved by changing planning law. The big builders/developers build at a pace and a scale which serves one purpose, maximising their profits. There is a widespread recognition that a change of … Continue reading Campaigning for Council Housing under a Labour government
The government should end “affordable rent”and Right to Buy
This is a letter to Michael Gove in response to his speech at a Shelter in which he said that he would look at ways to produce more social rent homes. These comments are welcome but if you seriously want to see a big increase in the building of social rent homes then it is … Continue reading The government should end “affordable rent”and Right to Buy
Time to end “Affordable rent”
Inside Housing has reported that housing association tenants are struggling to cope with the higher rents charged by landlords for so-called “affordable rent”. There's no reason to suspect that council tenants are any different. Read on below or download a PDF here ar-againDownload So-called affordable rent (AR) was introduced by the coalition government as part … Continue reading Time to end “Affordable rent”
Labour Campaign for Council Housing 