0:03 AM, 11th January 2023, About 3 years ago 7
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An open letter has been published urging the government and local authorities to deal urgently with a ‘housing crisis’ in Greater Manchester.
It has been signed by Shelter and the Greater Manchester Law Centre (GMLC) and a range of legal and housing organisations across the Greater Manchester region and sent to various MPs and policymakers.
They state that ‘the housing system is at crisis point’ and highlights that landlord possession claims have more than doubled in the past year.
Among the actions they want to be implemented are rent controls and an evictions ban.
In addition, they say that possession orders have nearly tripled, and average rents have risen in the North West by nearly 10% in the same period.
However, rents have rocketed in Manchester ‘by a staggering 20.5%’ and Greater Manchester now has some of the highest numbers of homeless people in the UK.
The signatories also say that the price of basic necessities is rising – and so are rents.
They add: “But for those on benefits, the Local Housing Allowance has remained frozen since April 2020, meaning even fewer people can afford their rent.”
The letter warns that local authority housing services are at breaking point and many authorities are turning people from their services because of ‘chronic underfunding’.
There are also issues with legal aid funding being cut and many services are being closed.
The letter goes on: “Our organisations are doing the best we can to support people facing homelessness.
“Nevertheless, many services are unable to answer a majority of enquiries due to the scale of the demand, and there is often nowhere else for them to go.
“There is no doubt that tenants who might have a defence to their claim are being kicked out onto the streets because of the lack of advice available to them.”
The letter calls on the government and local authorities to take urgent steps to ease this growing problem with these recommendations:
The letter ends by stating: “There is no longer any time to delay changes or defer responsibility. We are at crisis point.”
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Shelter says 271,000 people were homeless in 2022
Martin Thomas
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Member Since August 2018 - Comments: 153
12:14 PM, 11th January 2023, About 3 years ago
But for the majority of those S21 repossessions, won’t another tenant come along and occupy the premises?
Seething Landlord
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Member Since January 2020 - Comments: 1099 - Articles: 1
12:44 PM, 11th January 2023, About 3 years ago
Anyone who thinks that the Renters’ Reform Bill will increase the availability of properties to rent is living in cloud cuckoo land.
Beaver
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Member Since May 2018 - Comments: 1959
14:54 PM, 11th January 2023, About 3 years ago
That’s correct: The introduction of “….rent controls and an evictions ban, following in Scotland’s footsteps” would be acts of exceptional stupidity. The SNP policies are already backfiring in Scotland.
northern landlord
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Member Since March 2022 - Comments: 346
15:14 PM, 11th January 2023, About 3 years ago
Shelter don’t seem to understand that Landlords are not charities they are a business like any other. Our business model is that we require payment for providing housing and can’t subsidise tenants. Most evictions when it boils down to it are for rent arrears. Unfortunately in this world if you don’t pay for it you can’t have it. Banning Section 21 will not prevent evictions for rent arrears as it will still be a mandatory ground under Section 8. Section 8 is more costly for the landlord and takes longer than Section 21, it may give the tenant some respite and may be stopped if they pay off the arrears but it won’t delay the inevitable if they persistently don’t pay the rent.
Rent controls won’t help anybody. If rent controls mean a landlord cannot run their business they will be forced to sell up, another rental property will be lost and the tenant will have to find another property in a shrinking market.
The problem is costs are increasing and all of us are feeling the pinch tenants and landlords. It is not the fault of landlords or tenants it’s just the Governments way of making us pay for all the money they have borrowed and wasted.
Pobinr
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Member Since January 2023 - Comments: 59
22:33 PM, 11th January 2023, About 3 years ago
Why do comments disappear when one mentions high net migration as a factor ?
504k last year + illegals = 4000 new homes needed a week ?
C CA
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Member Since November 2022 - Comments: 39
16:11 PM, 12th January 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Robin Pearce at 11/01/2023 – 22:33
Well well …. I would separate immigrant workers who pay their taxes from others…….there is only 2 ways out for UK…. with immigrant workers for the country economy to function OR adopt policy for very high tech economy to increase productivity in which UK lags well behind……and arguably such high tech economy has NO been seen in this planet yet….worse still UK currently lack both of them and high tech will take decades to get close…. the problem is government policy… while some of the mindset and policy may have worked in favour…in today world it appear to works against…these factor is not limited only in the housing sector. …… 3 months ago I got quote from 2 major companies who manufacturers and installer windows and the likes….. they required 25% payment at signing….they both need “24 – 26 weeks to install” but there have clause in the Ts & Cs that external factors such supply could delay further and exclude from any liability in the event….. further more…. one of them went bust since then…. “Net Migrant” ??? while could have some minor effect in the equation…highly questionable to include as a cause of the crisis…
Freda Blogs
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Member Since July 2013 - Comments: 735
17:31 PM, 12th January 2023, About 3 years ago
Reply to the comment left by northern landlord at 11/01/2023 – 15:14https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59977154
Tesco and M&S made bumper profits over Christmas. I don’t see people queuing up to demonise them, accuse them of profiteering, or insist that their prices are frozen in the same way that ‘greedy’ Landlords are represented in the press. Our costs are rising too and most of us are not making bumper profits – our margins are decreasing and our risks are increasing.
We’re just the whipping boys (or girls), but it will bite them all in the b*m as supply continues to diminish and rents keep increasing…
Elementary economics – just a travesty that the government, media et al can’t or won’t see it.