 |
Sarah Teather and Brent Liberal DemocratsWorking Hard for Brent |
 |
15,000 Brent Families Facing Inflation Busting Rent Hikes - Teather
May 11, 2009 5:00 PM
Sarah Teather wants tax cuts for those on lower and middle incomes
Local Liberal Democrat Brent East MP Sarah Teather has uncovered new figures showing that the government is forcing inflation busting rent rises on two in every three social housing tenants in Brent.
In March Housing Minister Margaret Beckett announced a last minute u-turn on tenants rents, supposedly halving a proposed 6% hike. But the government have now been forced to admit that Brent's 15,000 housing association tenants will still have to pay the increase in full.
Brent families living in housing association properties will find themselves almost £4 a week worse off simply because they have the wrong landlord. There is already a large discrepancy in social tenants rent, with housing association properties having an average weekly rent of £69.90, and council properties an average rent of £61.63.
Across London there are over 350,000 housing association properties: 45% of social housing stock.
Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:
"Thousands of housing association tenants in Brent have been abandoned by the government. There is no conceivable reason why housing association tenants are able to afford this rent rise any more than council tenants.
"With so many families already struggling to pay their bills, Labour's inflation busting rent hikes could well by the last straw. Every day people come to me and tell me they are scared about losing their home. When household budgets are tight, a few pounds a week really does make all the difference.
"It's almost as if Gordon Brown hasn't even realised that we are in a recession; simply steaming ahead with his original plans to penalise less well off families. The Labour government need to wake up and realise that people in Brent are struggling and need help."
Related Links
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats
-
Help out or donate
-
Tell us what you think