Homeless denied social housing for being poor

[Still Waters]

Homeless people are being denied access to affordable housing because social landlords are routinely excluding prospective tenants who are deemed too poor or vulnerable to pay the rent, a study has revealed.

Research by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) found that “screening out” of homeless applicants nominated for newly available lets was widespread, as housing associations and local authorities increasingly ration their shrinking stocks of social homes.

In many cases nominees were refused a home because of the likelihood they would accrue major rent arrears after moving on to universal credit, because of the probability they would be hit by the bedroom tax or because the benefit cap had made them a financial risk.

Others were rejected after social landlords identified they had unmet mental health or addiction problems, often because of cuts to local NHS and housing support services. 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/sep/17/homeless-denied-housing-over-fears-they-are-too-poor-study-says

[itsnotoutthere]

I know this sounds heartless, but also obvious, but why would you rent your property to somebody who can't afford it? 

[aztek]

same here, to be eligible for AH you need min 30k income iirc, and there is nothing wrong with that,  homeless here actually have it better, at least in nyc,  they are placed in hotels for free,  and they destroy  hotels, steal everything they can steal, brake everything they can brake, do drugs, and do not follow a single rule.  i have 0 doubt homeless in uk are no different than in usa

Edited September 17, 2019 by aztek

[Eldorado]

5 minutes ago, itsnotoutthere said:

I know this sounds heartless, but also obvious, but why would you rent your property to somebody who can't afford it? 

 

"In Ireland and the United Kingdom, housing associations are private, non-profit making organisations that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in need of a home. Any budget surplus is used to maintain existing housing and to help finance new homes and it cannot be used for personal benefit of directors or shareholders."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_association

[ethereal_scout]

There are four types of housing:

1) Council Housing - free to those on low incomes

2) Housing Association - generally starting at £80pw and only going to 1 or 2 bedroomed in size

3) Private lets - the free market

4) Home ownership - for those on a combined income of at least £40k (based on entry level house prices and mortgage multipliers)

There are two incomes (for those not on tax)

1) £12500py - basic for being in private paid employment via Limited Business

2) £150pw - those not in work. Housing Benefit - which is a disaster in most districts leaving people on £100pw Universal Credit and/or the food bank.

The above values have been fixed in time and don't go up with inflation.

Basically - I'm free market, if they can't afford it they shouldn't get it. That's why we have council housing. However most if not all districts on the island have been an administrative disaster since the collapse of the regional councils (who used to provide the welfare and housing) in the 1980s. Its now the responsibility of the district councils to provide the welfare and the housing - most of whom are asleep at the wheel.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2019 by ethereal_scout

[Eldorado]

3 hours ago, ethereal_scout said:

There are four types of housing:

1) Council Housing - free to those on low incomes

2) Housing Association - generally starting at £80pw and only going to 1 or 2 bedroomed in size

3) Private lets - the free market

4) Home ownership - for those on a combined income of at least £40k (based on entry level house prices and mortgage multipliers)

There are two incomes (for those not on tax)

1) £12500py - basic for being in private paid employment via Limited Business

2) £150pw - those not in work. Housing Benefit - which is a disaster in most districts leaving people on £100pw Universal Credit and/or the food bank.

The above values have been fixed in time and don't go up with inflation.

Basically - I'm free market, if they can't afford it they shouldn't get it. That's why we have council housing. However most if not all districts on the island have been an administrative disaster since the collapse of the regional councils (who used to provide the welfare and housing) in the 1980s. Its now the responsibility of the district councils to provide the welfare and the housing - most of whom are asleep at the wheel.

 

 

Where you getting the info from?

[ethereal_scout]

Its all IMO. Basically Ive been scrapping around in my district for food, money and accommodation since cub scouts so the above is the distillate of what Ive understood thus far.