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Mayor of West Yorkshire blasts landlords for raising rents
9:29 AM, 6th October 2023, 3 years ago
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The mayor of West Yorkshire has launched a scathing attack on landlords, in a new interview.
Labour mayor Tracy Brabin has criticised landlords who raise rents in a cost-of-living crisis.
However, she does not advocate for the use of rent controls and instead wants to focus on building more affordable homes.
Avaricious and greedy
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, told Inside Housing magazine: “People are becoming homeless because landlords are putting rents up in order to be in line with market prices, when actually they don’t need it because they’re in a fixed mortgage themselves.
“It just avaricious, and it’s greedy. I would say to landlords that do that, you’re not really welcome in West Yorkshire because it’s not fair. Particularly when the cost of living is squeezing people’s incomes.”
Ms Brabin, whose combined authority covers Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Halifax and Leeds, added: “A third of all children in West Yorkshire are living in poverty. 200,000 families are using food banks. This is fuelled not just by the cost of living but also rising rents.”
Not thought about rent controls
This year many labour mayors including Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham have called for an immediate rent freeze to help renters deal with the cost-of-living crisis.
Labour’s Lisa Nandy slapped down the calls for rent controls in June, saying: “Rent controls that cut rents for some will almost certainly leave others homeless.”
Ms Brabin stopped short of joining her fellow mayors in directly calling for rent control powers. She said: “I’ve not thought about rent controls currently, it’s not in the forefront of my mind.”
A spokesperson for Ms Brabin later told Inside Housing magazine that building affordable homes was more important to the mayor.
Retrofit social homes
In Leeds last year at the Holtdale estate, 190 social homes were retrofitted with heat pumps, solar panels and insulation by Leeds City Council and low carbon equipment provider, Equans, at a cost of £9.6m.
Ms Brabin praised the work at the housing estate and said more needs to be done.
She said: “There are 680,000 social homes across West Yorkshire and we have to retrofit them all. So while this programme is really fantastic, and the outcomes are really spectacular, we’ve got to turbocharge that delivery.”
The full interview can be read here (for some readers this may be behind a paywall).
Tags:
affordable housing, Cost of Living Crisis, housing crisis, Landlord criticism, rent controls debate, Rent increase, Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire mayor
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Member Since June 2023 - Comments: 188
10:51 PM, 6th October 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Jonathan Cocks at 06/10/2023 – 22:03
I sent her an email, the more that do the less sanctimonious she will be.
Mayors’ in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Member Since January 2022 - Comments: 267
11:13 PM, 6th October 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Russell Cartner at 06/10/2023 – 22:51
noted thanks
Member Since June 2023 - Comments: 21
6:38 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
Spending 9.6 million on 190 flats refurbishment is crazy, they could have actually increased the number of homes they have by using the money to build new houses, helping to alleviate the number wanting a home.
Member Since June 2023 - Comments: 188
6:57 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
A hundred comments on here goes nowhere.
A hundred emails to the Mayor will make her sit up and listen, will make her warey of making anti landlord statements
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 2
7:12 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
What is this woman talking about. Not only are interest rates higher but wage inflation is through the roof. Part of the reason why interest rates will stay high. So the tenants can earn more, but the full burden of cost falls on landlords?
This doesn’t even factor in the increasingly anti landlord policies and costs. Selective licensing in Birmingham for example. A corrupt inept council that has taken 700 pounds of landlords (if they bother to process the application) only to deliver nothing. Most of us haven’t even had our applications dealt with, but they have our money!
Member Since June 2023 - Comments: 188
7:52 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
Complain by email to your local MP, Councilor & Mayor
They are truly scared of losing thete fat payslios Tell them you won’t be voting for them until they stop harrasing landlords
Member Since October 2022 - Comments: 5
8:39 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
For all the rhetoric, will someone please explain to a simple landlord why raising rents increases homelessness. The houses don’t disappear and no landlord wants to leave his property empty. One moves out, another moves in. No net impact on number of people housed.
This should be trumpeted from the rooftops whilst we still control them. Forget the arguments over EPCs, section 24 and abolition of section 21, RISING RENTS DO NOT INCREASE HOMELESSNESS!
Member Since June 2023 - Comments: 188
9:36 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
email and tell her, she is oblivious to what you have put on here
[email protected]
Member Since June 2023 - Comments: 188
9:42 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Mr William at 07/10/2023 – 07:12
Send her an email
[email protected]
Member Since January 2022 - Comments: 267
9:52 AM, 7th October 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Russell Cartner at 07/10/2023 – 06:57
I have just sent an email to mayors office