-
Over £19.5 million to be provided to local authorities
to help people access a home in the private rented
sector
-
This action will help those that are homeless, or at
risk of homelessness find a more permanent home
-
Government also calls for the end of housing
advertisements which specify ‘No DSS’ tenants
Housing Minister MP has confirmed over £19.5
million is to be shared among 54 projects across England to help
thousands of people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming
homeless, to secure their own home.
Councils will use the funding boost to help vulnerable people
secure their own tenancy through support such as, paying deposits
or putting down the first months’ rent. This will give them an
opportunity to make a home in a property they may otherwise not
have been able to access.
This funding forms part of the £100 million Rough Sleeping
Strategy which set out detailed plans to end rough sleeping for
good.
Today the Minister has also outlined plans to look at letting
adverts which potentially discriminate against would-be tenants
on Housing Benefit and made clear these should end.
Out of 4.5 million households living in private rental
accommodation, 889,000 receive housing benefit to help pay their
rent. Yet the latest figures show around half of landlords said
they would not be willing to let to tenants on Housing Benefit –
ruling out thousands of vulnerable people and families.
In the coming months, Ministers will meet leading industry
representatives, including mortgage providers, landlord
associations, tenant groups, and property websites to clamp down
on blanket exclusions in adverts – with a view to stopping them
altogether.
This builds on ongoing government action to create a fairer
housing market that works for everyone.
Minister for Housing and Homelessness MP:
“I want everyone to have the security, dignity and opportunities
they need to build a better life – at the heart of which is
ensuring everyone can find a safe and secure home to call their
own.
“This funding will make a huge difference in opening up the
private rented sector to people who need it and give them the
chance to rebuild their lives.
“I will also be meeting key stakeholders to tackle “No DSS”
advertisements. If the sector is unwilling to take action, the
Government will then explore all options to remove this
practice.”
Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child
Maintenance, said:
“Everyone should have the same opportunity when looking for a
home, regardless of whether they are in receipt of benefits.
“With Universal Credit, payments can be paid directly to the
landlord, and we continue to listen to feedback and work with
landlords to improve the system.”
Landlords can already receive rent from tenants on Housing
Benefit and Universal Credit – meaning payments can be paid
directly into their accounts. This helps strengthen the choices
and opportunities available for those on benefits to secure the
homes they and their families need.
In a third move, local authorities can from today, also bid for a
share of up to £26 million of Rapid Rehousing Pathway funding for
2019/20. This extra investment can be used to fund innovative
local schemes which help those sleeping rough and struggling with
mental health problems or substance misuse issues. It will give
them the wrap-around help they need to get back on their feet.
-ENDS
- The Private Rented Sector Access Fund will support minimum
tenancies or existing tenancies for a period of twelve months.
- The Crisis Private Rented Sector Access Programme ran from
2010 until 2014, backed by £11 million in funding from the
government. The programme supported over 153 schemes across the
sector, creating 8,000 tenancies over 4 years. A total of 90% of
these schemes created lasted beyond 6 months.
