Posted 20.05.13
A new report on the affordability of renting a shared home on benefits in London reveals:
Last year, the Government made a change to the Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR) - the level of Housing Benefit that applies to single people in the private rented sector - that placed restrictions on claimants under the age of 35. Homeless Link's report, Nowhere To Move, examined data taken from 55,537 property listings in London to assess the impact of this change.
Launched Homeless Link's national conference on housing Finding and keeping a home, it revealed that just 5.5% of properties in the capital are actually affordable to claimants. The findings strongly suggest that welfare reform is adding to an already severe housing crisis in London.
The SAR is limited to a maximum amount based on what is seen as appropriate rent for a room in a shared property. Until January 2012, this only applied to 18-24 year olds but was extended to include all benefit claimants under 35. According to the Government's own figures this added a further 12,000 people to those already competing for shared accommodation.
Government sets housing allowance limits so that 30% of properties in an area are affordable to those who claim it. However, the report reveals that the actual figure in London is much lower - just 5.5%. The allowance has not increased in-line with the significant rises in private rental prices, pushing more and more properties out of reach.
These findings present a situation in which changes to the welfare system could be further limiting access to affordable accommodation for people under 35.
The report suggests a number of recommendations in order to avoid potentially forcing people into homelessness. Primarily, Housing Benefit rates should be adjusted to reflect the real cost of renting shared accommodation in London and ensure that claimants have access to at least 30% of properties in their local area.
Posted 17.05.13
World Habitat Awards 2013 Finalists Show People-centred Housing In Action
The 2013 World Habitat Award finalists, which have just been announced, represent a true cross-section of good practice in housing.
The ten finalists for the Awards, funded and co-ordinated each year by the Building and Social Housing Foundation, have been chosen from a list of over 200 projects from across the globe. They include projects focusing on homeless people, access to clean energy and community-led service provision, as well as restoration and sustainable living in cities.
BSHF Director Darinka Czischke commented:
"As in previous years, the World Habitat Awards finalists have been chosen by means of a rigorous selection process involving a panel of housing experts.
"All the projects were assessed against the key criteria of innovation, sustainability and transfer.
"The Awards are all about identifying good housing practice which has had a demonstrable impact on people's lives."
Full details of each of the 2013 finalists are available at on the World Habitat Awards website - click here. The winners will be announced in August.
__________
Funding Announced to Boost Rent Options for Single Homeless People
Communities Minister Don Foster announced a cash boost of up to £1 million to support single homeless people.
This includes an allocation of up to £800,000 for homelessness charity Crisis, to fund schemes to set up new shared tenancies for single homeless people in privately rented accommodation.
The Minister also announced a further £230,000 for Crisis to continue its Private Rented Sector Access Programme, which works with local landlords to help vulnerable people find the homes they need in privately rented accommodation.
