Half of tenants are ‘one pay cheque away’ from homelessness – Shelter claims

Half of tenants are ‘one pay cheque away’ from homelessness – Shelter claims

9:26 AM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago 67

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A survey of private renters has found that 51% of them are just one missed ‘pay cheque’ away from being made homeless.

The findings from Shelter also found that more than a third said they did not have enough savings to cover their rent if they were to face unemployment.

The charity’s study also reveals that 55% of renters have seen a rent increase in the past year with demand from tenants outstripping landlord supply.

Shelter says its recent findings show a deterioration in the private rented sector since a 2021 survey revealed that 39% of tenants did not have enough in savings to pay rent.

‘Forced to compete for grossly expensive private rentals’

Shelter’s chief executive, Polly Neate, said: “The severe lack of social homes means swathes of people are barely scraping by as they’re forced to compete for grossly expensive private rentals, because there is nothing else.

“With food and household bills continuing to surge, the situation is precarious for thousands of renters who are one pay cheque away from losing their home, and the spectre of homelessness.”

She added: “The time for piecemeal policies is over. To jam the brakes on the housing emergency, we need a genuinely affordable alternative to private renting.

“We know social housing works for most people because it’s secure and the rents are tied to local incomes.

“Instead of empty words, the government and every political party must sign up to building thousands more social homes.”

‘Delivering affordable homes to rent and buy’

A government spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record of delivering affordable homes to rent and buy across the country.

“Since 2010, we have delivered over 659,500 new affordable homes through our £11.5bn affordable homes programme, including 166,300 homes for social rent.

“Our landmark Renters (Reform) Bill will also deliver a better deal for renters, giving tenants greater security in their homes and preventing large rent increases being used as a backdoor method of eviction.”


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Comments

Terry Knott

16:06 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Hey Guys,
I respect all of your well intentioned opinions. But as mentioned in other replys. Cherry picking is putting it rather mildly. I would prefer to use these other statistics. That show most people. Would be in severe financial difficulty if they lose 3 months income regardless of buying or renting.
And that most companies wouldn't survive if they lose 6 months.
Income.
So I guess we are all in the at risk zone.
There are some remedies mainly trying to live more within your means and cut out debt and restrict purchases. Even save money.
But it can also have long term deflationary effects which lead to recessions.
Social cash cards sound like a great idea. Ie they can be programmed to not allow alcoholics to buy booze. Gamblers to not use them in casinos or bookies.
This may help if part of a genuine treatment plan agreed by both sides. But they can also be abused by the people who programme the cards.
I would rather have less legal regulation and more common sense policies set at national level.
To stop local councils abusing their powers. Light regulation with sensible remedy will always be supported by everyone.
A law brought in to be all things to all people will either be poorly drafted leaving lots of loop hole or be so beurocratic it defeats the purpose.
Note
Leave us to run our letting businesses as businesses with no discrimination. And we will provide at minimum cost to society plenty of accomodation for people and businesses.
Give us this chance don't keep trying to take it from us. It will end in tears for everyone effected.
And sadly crocodile tears from government and NGO,s

Tim Rogers

16:07 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 22/08/2023 - 14:17
Nice thing about charities in the UK is someone always publishes this stuff.....

The average salary for Shelter Director is £113,381 per year in the United Kingdom. The average additional cash compensation for a Shelter Director in the United Kingdom is £19,670, with a range from £10,418 - £37,140.14 Jul 2023

Churchills Tax Advisers

16:13 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Tim Rogers at 22/08/2023 - 16:07
Worth every penny, I'm sure.

Beaver

16:16 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Tim Rogers at 22/08/2023 - 16:07
And that's an organisation that doesn't put a roof over anybody's head and to the best of my knowledge hasn't done ever....although I believe Shelter has been in receipt of government funds.

This report says a Devon housebuilder has hit debts of £21m and ceased trading.

https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/devon-housebuilder-cease-trading-hits-27567783

It was funded by Mid-Devon council.

Shelter has never put a roof over anybody's head and no government, central or local can fund the fix to this problem.

Churchills Tax Advisers

16:23 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 22/08/2023 - 16:16
It makes you wonder why governments stick their fingers in pies they don't have any experience of.

It was bound to end in tears, but not their money. So as long as it looks as though they are doing the right thing they can announce with a fanfare and close with a whimper.

Beaver

16:36 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Churchills Tax Advisers at 22/08/2023 - 16:23
China apparently has a crisis in property speculation that makes our property problems seem miniscule in comparison. The levels of unemployment in younger age groups have also escalated to the point that they've stopped reporting the figures.

Russia's economy is tanking. That's made worse by the brain drain caused by anybody that can leave leaving so that they aren't conscripted to fight in Ukraine.

Left-wing totalitarian governments and institutions everywhere think that they know better than anybody else. And when their policies fail they resort to covering those failures up to hide how idiotic they are and cover their own backsides.

How refreshing it would be if the various UK governments looked at the failure of SNP policies and learned from them. And how refreshing it would be if the SNP also said "..fair enough...we messed up..we need to learn from those failures and change tack."

The housing fix we need is a boom in housing that is well-insulated and powered by renewables...and tax policies that make retro-fitting technologies to existing housing stock that were worth it. The only way that can be funded is by pensions.

JeggNegg

16:50 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Churchills Tax Advisers at 22/08/2023 - 11:07
if Landlords miss a mortgage payment i guess its going to have an immediate negative effect on their credit score, and all the knock on effects. LL cannot go to the Council for financial help!

GlanACC

17:00 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

We don't need more social housing, we need to revive the workhouse. Can't pay (or won't pay) even if you are on benefits then to the workhouse you go.

Beaver

17:06 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 22/08/2023 - 17:00
I doubt that's something that any of us could support even in jest...however, something the various governments do need to do for occupants of social housing is confirm to their landlords that the tenants are eligible for social housing, and take responsibility for that assessment. As a landlord you take an enormous risk in housing social housing tenants where the authority is paying you directly because if it transpires during the period of the tenancy that they are not eligible then the money can just be clawed back off you as the landlord. And so I never do it.

NewYorkie

17:08 PM, 22nd August 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 22/08/2023 - 16:36
Who will agree to their pension fund being used for property speculation? And what happens when the projects inevitably fail? Will the pension funds be bailed out? The public sector pension liability [all those lovely gold-plated final salary pensions] is already £2.3 TRILLION! More than the UK GDP.

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