Alliance Solution for Housing benefit tenants
Last Week, the newly formed Landlords Alliance came up with a unique and simple solution, to help housing benefit tenants in to new homes. We proposed that Shelter act as guarantor for housing benefit tenants. It should be remembered that this £60 Million charity offers advice, but houses nobody.
They employ over 1000 and their CEO earns over £120k. Shelter therefore could very easily offer real and practical help by offering to bond tenants. £60 M equals 15000 bonds if each guarantee was worth £4K. Obviously the majority of these tenants are good decent people, therefore the bond would not be called in. Yes imagine 15000 families empowered .
Our plan was immediately supported by hundreds of landlords and even better Karen Buck Labour MP also supported us on twitter. We thanked Karen as support flooded in with emails from benefit tenants thanking us for supporting them. Imagine our surprise and horror, when this MP then deleated her support and blocked us. This is cruel and shocking. A few weeks short of Christmas, a plan to given thousands of benefit tenants a shouting chance of a new home and the MP who liked our plan, changes her mind and offers no explanation to these people. Was Shelter involved in her decision to recant?
Did she regret her support because it might have annoyed Shelter? Who knows. Shelter instead prefer to whine about discrimination against DSS tenants.
The reality is that Landlords must pay mortages. Benefit tenants rent is paid monthly in arrears,while private tenants pay in advance. Private tenants have deposits, while very often benefit tenants do not. Landlords decisions therefore, are not based on bias, but based on commercial reality. Agents also have faced the wrath and ire of Shelter, accused of discrimination for simply acting in the best interests of their clients.
The media meanwhile have acted disgracefully like vultures sweeping in to eat the carcasses of these vile agents. This atmosphere of negativity, bile and hate can be laid at the door of Shelter.
We stepped in to de escalate this crisis. Our solution provided security for landlords and tenants alike. Are Shelter saying that housing benefit tenants are not to be trusted? Our landlords are willing to give them parity of treatment with private tenants, if the bond was forthcoming. The rent delays, payments in arrears, no credit history etc would be overlooked. Our plan was scuppered.
Who blocked it and why? Surely these tenants who have had their hopes of moving dashed before Christmas, deserve an explanation. Finally we are not interested in excuses.
We again demand that this Charity stand as Guarantor for benefit tenants. To say they assist by offering advise, does not cut the mustard. It is shameful. Real support and action is what is needed.
We are waiting, our landlords are ready and waiting but most importantly thousands of tenants are waiting
What is Shelter doing ?
And Where is Karen Buck MP?
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Member Since March 2015 - Comments: 1969 - Articles: 1
12:55 PM, 17th November 2018, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 17/11/2018 – 12:33
Have you got a link to Generation Rent’s proposals?
Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 84
2:35 PM, 17th November 2018, About 7 years ago
Hmm it’s true the the softly-softly approach of other organisations has hardly impacted on the attack on landlords. However I feel that more hard hitting campaigns should be especially squeaky clean and not petty. I cringe when I am in organisations that deal in mud slinging and try and dissociate myself from them, it is a huge turn off. It is not petty to query what shelter do (apart from criticise). A few astute questions on question time would be more hard hitting?
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 428
7:43 PM, 17th November 2018, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 17/11/2018 – 12:55
Yes, it’s in Table 1 on page 3 of Dan Wilson Craw’s recent paper “Do measures that discourage buy-to-let investment increase rents?”
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/npto/pages/6563/attachments/original/1539956761/PRS_size_and_rents_19_Oct_2018.pdf?1539956761
It is a long paper and contains much that we would challenge or disagree with but it struck me that on this particular point landlords and GR might find common cause.
Member Since May 2016 - Comments: 415 - Articles: 52
10:07 AM, 18th November 2018, About 7 years ago
On behalf of the Alliance, my sincere thanks to LukeP, Laura Delow ,Clint,Layla, David Price and countless others far too numerous to name individually. We are doing well. The ‘Seething Landlords’ and Giles Peakers can take a hike. Peaker has failed to respond to questions I put to him on this very forum. Landlords join the Alliance. We need the numbers . By doing nothing and listening to the nice ‘voices of reason’ all you are doing is conceeding ground and very rapidly at that. I warned before the Alliance came in to being that Section 21 was in jepordy.
As regards Karen Buck, tweets, aside I would not put much store in writing to her. She thinks Shelter are amazing, so unless you agree with that statement, please join us.
Member Since November 2013 - Comments: 1130 - Articles: 2
3:06 AM, 20th November 2018, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Layla . at 16/11/2018 – 17:04@Layla you said “There also seems to be the suggestion that Larry is something of a Tommy Robinson type character, if so then as a marginalised minority individual I’m certainly not with him on that.
But that doesnt make him wrong here, far from it.”
I’m afraid that while a good deal of what Larry says about unfair attacks on private landlords (both directly and by more underhandedly undermining our reputation) is true, it is also true that if he or his organisation have demonstrated “Tommy Robinson” type sympathies this will only serve to undermine the PRS and damage the reputation of private landlords further.
Member Since November 2013 - Comments: 1130 - Articles: 2
5:23 PM, 21st November 2018, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Mandy Thomson at 20/11/2018 – 03:06
I would like to retract my remark about Larry Sweeney being racist. On further examination, I can find absolutely nothing anywhere (aside from Layla’s comment) linking Larry with racist views. He DOES criticsize political correctness on Twitter but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is a racist! I have already extended my apologies to him.
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2188 - Articles: 2
6:28 PM, 21st November 2018, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Mandy Thomson at 21/11/2018 – 17:23
Mandy I have always respected you on 118 but now my estimation of you has gone up a thousand fold.
Member Since April 2015 - Comments: 468
7:21 PM, 21st November 2018, About 7 years ago
After having read Layla’s post I would have agreed to most of it however, did not as she implied that he was something of a Tommy Robinson type character which I had absolutely no reason to believe.
I also stated that I fully agree with Layla’s comment:
There seems to be the suggestion that Larry’s tactical methods may be counterproductive but it seems to me that his strategy is blindingly brilliant.
Having read my post again, I have to say that I don’t believe that Larry’s tactical methods may be counterproductive and in fact just the opposite but must have misread the statement which was read in haste.
I meant to say that I agreed with part of the statement “that Larry’s strategy is blindingly brilliant”.
Larry seems to be the type of person we really need.
Member Since November 2013 - Comments: 1130 - Articles: 2
10:27 AM, 22nd November 2018, About 7 years ago
I have just stumbled upon this thread on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joelgolby/status/1065263298185175041
While I’m sure Joel Golby’s remark is in jest, it’s had many responses and I’m sure a few very sad people will take it seriously, and there may be some inspired to act on it.
Member Since April 2014 - Comments: 460 - Articles: 1
11:10 AM, 22nd November 2018, About 7 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Mandy Thomson at 22/11/2018 – 10:27
I don’t seriously believe we have reason to be concerned about our personal safety (no more than usual anyway!) Social media brings out the worst in people, and the worst of people. Most of the vilest contributions seem to be from younger people and very London centric. Not just the thread Mandy posted – there are many others.