Shelter calls for 90,000 affordable homes to rent to be built EVERY year

Shelter calls for 90,000 affordable homes to rent to be built EVERY year

9:53 AM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago 42

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Homelessness charity Shelter is calling for all political parties to commit to building 90,000 affordable social homes every year – with rents that are tied to local incomes.

It says the move will deliver a ‘lasting and ultimate solution to homelessness’.

Shelter is also pushing for the Renters (Reform) Bill amendments to be ditched – including a delay to banning Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions until the court system is improved.

The charity is now joining with other tenant organisations to say it no longer supports the bill.

Living in temporary accommodation

Shelter is speaking out after new government statutory homelessness figures reveal that 145,800 children are homeless and living in temporary accommodation with their families.

This is the highest figure ever recorded, representing a 15% increase in a year.

The data for England also reveals that 112,660 households were homeless and living in temporary accommodation at the end of 2023, another record high, up 12% in a year.

Also, 317,430 households were recognised as either homeless or at imminent risk of it by their council last year, the highest number since records began, and up 9% on the previous year.

‘The government cannot stand idly’

The charity’s chief executive, Polly Neate, said: “The government cannot stand idly by while a generation of children have their lives blighted by homelessness.

“Decades of failure to build enough genuinely affordable social homes has left families struggling to cobble together extortionate sums every month to keep a roof over their heads.

“Those who can’t afford private rents are being thrown into homelessness and then left for months and even years in damaging temporary accommodation because there is nowhere else.”

She added: “With a General Election approaching, it’s time for all politicians to show voters they are serious about ending the housing emergency.

“To dramatically reduce homelessness, we need every party to commit to building 90,000 social homes a year for 10 years, and an overhaul of the Renters (Reform) Bill so that it delivers genuine safety and security for private renters.”


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NewYorkie

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16:54 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 02/05/2024 - 16:44
The days of young girls getting pregnant to obtain social housing have long gone. Now, they go into temporary [years!] housing such as single rooms in hostels, while available social housing is prioritised for illegal migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

Jo Westlake

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17:57 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by SteveFowkes at 02/05/2024 - 16:53
Steve - a lot of them are fully aware of family planning. Their plan is to get pregnant so they have an entitlement to housing and benefits.
When one of my ex daughter-in-laws was 16 she had plan A and plan B. One was: get pregnant, leave school, get Council flat. The other was leave school, get pregnant, get Council flat. My son messed up her plans a bit by wanting to be a proper father living with and financially supporting his family.
They're divorced now, he has the kids half the week and pays huge child support. She works part time, has a 4 bedroom housing entitlement and receives huge amounts of UC. Her disposable income is significantly more than his.
If the getting a Council flat part of her plans hadn't existed she almost certainly wouldn't have chosen to get pregnant at the earliest opportunity.

Martin Roberts

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18:01 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by SteveFowkes at 02/05/2024 - 16:53
Agree, but you can’t close the stable door…

GlanACC

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18:27 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Jo Westlake at 02/05/2024 - 17:57
Actually, getting pregnant doesn't have the same weight it used to be for getting a house. There just aren't enough 1 or 2 bed properties to go around.

Cider Drinker

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20:35 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Not all migrants are illegal.

Many have been well coached by their sponsors and gained LEGAL migrant status by overwhelming the Civil Service.

Martin Roberts

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20:49 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Good that Shelter always know who else should solve the problems, partly of their own making, while tenaciously protecting their £60 million (plus) annual income.

SteveFowkes

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21:02 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Martin Roberts at 02/05/2024 - 20:49
£60M?

More like ££120M!

NewYorkie

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21:51 PM, 2nd May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 02/05/2024 - 20:35
Surely, they become 'legal' migrants only when they are granted asylum. But I take your point about their sponsors and 'helpers' such as naive priests.

Carchester

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8:48 AM, 4th May 2024, About 8 months ago

Reply to the comment left by TheBiggerPicture at 02/05/2024 - 12:13That would be a Labour Party (Marxist) policy decision based on a maligned ideology.
Landlords must get wised up to what the "0ther" lot have in store for them post election. The end of the small scale PRS I'm afraid.
Let the battle of Shelter and the huge corporate LLs commence.
Carchester.

GlanACC

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8:16 AM, 6th May 2024, About 8 months ago

Looking at the way affordable housing is calculated (see government website) - affordable housing must be 20% below market rent OR 20% below the selling price of similar properties. So, on a new development near where I live EACH new property not deemed to be an affordable home will have to contribute AT LEAST £13,750 to the affordable housing pot. Don't buy a new build or you will be fleeced.

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