A Review by Mark Langabeer (Hastings and Rye Labour member)
In this programme, broadcast on 23rd February, Datshiane Navanayagam, a reporter for ITV1’s Tonight programme, showed that rents have risen on average by 10% last year. As a child, over twenty years ago, she was homeless and lived in temporary accommodation but she reports that the situation is even more precarious for people that rent today.
Demand is outstripping supply. Renting has doubled over the past two decades. Affordability is particularly acute in Britain’s cities. The average monthly cost of renting in London is £3,000. There are 1,500,000 fewer socially rented homes than there was 40 years ago. An economist stated that systems for helping renters have been gradually withdrawn. In recent years, housing benefit has been cut and the cost of renting is outstripping incomes. The homeless charity, Shelter, receives over a 1000 calls a day and says that the majority are nearer eviction than the hope of home ownership.
Slum conditions
Navanayagam interviewed a housing inspector, who states that unlicensed housing is a growing problem. They visit a premises which houses multiple occupants and the slum conditions that were found required its closure. Around twenty occupants were moved into temporary accommodation until essential repairs had been completed.
A mother of two children had been renting a place for seventeen years. She was served a no-fault eviction notice which gave two months’ notice to vacate. There are also barriers for obtaining alternative accommodation. A pre-screening form requires information regarding income and housing benefits. Low-income earners are less likely to secure housing in the private sector.
Funding cuts
Michael Gove, the Tory Minister for ‘Levelling Up and Housing’ was questioned about failure to support the most vulnerable. Not according to Gove – he claimed that local authorities were receiving more money and the receipts from selling existing social housing can be used for new builds. Yet, according to the council leadership in Hastings, where I live, the funding from central Government has been cut by 10% this year.
Selling off social housing is the principal cause of the crisis in the rented sector. It should be noted that Starmer’s ‘five aspirations’ fail to mention the housing crisis. Many have compared this with Blair’s five pledges. One of failings of the Blair/Brown years was the refusal to end the so-called ‘right to buy’ and, worse still, a refusal to allow Council’s to borrow for new builds.
Brown was dubbed the Iron Chancellor and a rerun of these policies will only disappoint those that need a Labour Government most.
