Latest news with #EnglishHousingSurvey
Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
How happy are private renters?
Coined terms Liz Williams, a Reform UK council candidate in May's local elections, began a High Court action trying to overturn the result after she lost on the toss of a coin, having tied with the Green candidate Hannah Robson. The toss of a coin has been used several times to decide local elections. Has chance favoured a particular party? 1987 Labour candidate Bob Blizzard defeated the Conservative May Reader in Pakefield Ward of Waveney District Council after the toss of a coin. 2000 Labour defeated the Conservatives on the toss of a coin in the Worksop North East ward of Bassetlaw District Council. 2007 The Tory Christopher Underwood-Frost defeated the Lib Dem candidate on toss of coin in West Lindsey, Lincolnshire. 2022 The Labour candidate won over the Conservative in Carmarthen's Bigyn ward. There is only one recorded instance of a tie in a general election – in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1886. On that occasion the returning officer used a casting vote to elect the Conservative candidate John Addison. Bag news Which retailers sold the most single-use plastic bags in 2023/24 (legislation compels them to charge at least 10p for each one)? Ocado 190.4m Morrisons 53.3m Co-op 24.8m Aldi 11.4m Sainsbury's 8.8m Farmfoods 7.9m Source: Defra Flat rate How happy are private renters? 80% say they are happy with their current accommodation (75% of social renters and 94% of owner occupiers say the same). Private renters say they pay an average of 31% of their income on rent. They have been in their current accommodation for an average of nearly 4 years. 73% say they left their last rented home because they wanted to move; 10% because the fixed rental period ended; 6% because their landlord asked them to move. Of the latter, 61% said their landlord wanted to sell the property. Source: English Housing Survey The pension gap What percentage of their earnings are employees putting into their pensions? Males, public sector: 7.1% employee contribution and 20% employer. Females, public sector: 6.8% and 17.9%. Males, private sector: 4.3% and 4.5%. Females, private sector: 4.1% and 4%. Across both sectors men between ages of 55 and 59 have average accumulated pension wealth of £156,000 and women £81,000. Source: DWP
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Revealed: The spiralling cost of housing foreign-born tenants
Foreign-born heads of households in London cost Britain around £3.6 billion a year in discounted rent, Telegraph analysis suggests. Nearly half of all social housing in the capital, 48 per cent, is occupied by foreign-born heads of household, data from the 2021 census shows. This is well over the national average of 19 per households benefit from cheap rents which, when compared to private rent in London, average out at a discount of around £11,600 per year per household. Responding to the figures, Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said: 'This research shows how the huge costs of mass, low-skilled migration are often hidden from the public. When you lift up the bonnet, it's clear that the level and composition of immigration have been hugely economically harmful for decades'. The figures also show some 35 per cent of working age foreign-born heads of households in London's social housing are either unemployed or economically inactive, despite living in one of the UK's most prosperous regions. The most recent ONS figures show that output per hour worked in the capital is approximately 26 per cent higher than the UK average. The figures cast further doubt on the UK's migration policies. Last year, the Office for Budget Responsibility found that low-paid migrant workers were costing taxpayers more than £150,000 each by the time they hit state pension age. The proportion of social housing allocated to foreign-born lead residents varies drastically across the capital. A majority of social housing is occupied by a foreign-born lead tenant in 14 of the city's 32 boroughs, with only 10 areas in the capital falling below the level of 40 per cent. Over 60 per cent of social housing in Brent and Westminster is allocated to foreign-born lead residents but this drops to 16 per cent in Havering. To come to the figure of £3.6 billion, The Telegraph matched rents for London's 'general needs' social housing stock across local authority and private registered providers with median private sector rents for properties with equivalent numbers of bedrooms. This suggested that socially rented properties were approximately £11,992 cheaper per year in 2021. Adjusted for estimated service charges, the net discount works out at £11,610. Added up across the city across the whole of the population, this suggests a total subsidy of approximately £7.7 billion. If households headed by foreign-born residents take up a proportional share of this sum, it would amount to roughly £3.6 billion per year in total discounts. Separate data from the English Housing Survey suggests that there is significant variation between ethnic groups with regards to social housing use. Roughly 48 per cent of Black Caribbean households, 40 per cent of Black African households, and 40 per cent of Bangladeshi households in England live in social housing, compared with 16 per cent of White British households, and 5 per cent of Chinese and Indian households. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Social housing complaints soar as watchdog warns of 'simmering anger'
Complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing in England are more than five times higher than five years ago, according to the housing watchdog. Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said there was an "imbalance of power" in the tenant-landlord relationship and "simmering anger at poor housing conditions risked becoming social disquiet". He warned without change England risked the "managed decline" of social housing. Asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control and leaks, damp and mould are among the complaints, the watchdog receives. In its latest report, the Housing Ombudsman, which deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, said that the general condition of social housing - combined with the length of time it takes for repairs to be done - is leading to a breakdown in trust. "You've got ageing homes and social housing, you've got rising costs around materials, for example, and you've got skills shortages," said Mr Blakeway, who spoke to the BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "You put all that together and you end up with a perfect storm and that's what's presenting in our case work. That is not sustainable." He said tenants have "little say in the services they receive, however poor they are" and that this is leading to "growing frustration". While he acknowledged that social landlords are putting in "record amounts" for repairs and maintenance - £9bn between 2023 and 2024 - there had been historic underfunding in social housing. He also said that while landlords have faced "funding uncertainties", they needed to address their communication with tenants that sometimes "lacks dignity and respect". According to the ombudsman's report, there were 6,380 complaints investigated in the year to March 2025 - up from 1,111 in the year to March 2020. Referring to English Housing Survey estimates, it also found that an estimated 1.5 million children in England live in a non-decent home in 2023, and 19% of those live in social housing. The Housing Ombudsman is calling for a "transformative overhaul" of the current system, including an independent review of funding practices and the establishment of a "national tenant body" to "strengthen tenant voice and landlord accountability". That would be separate to the ombudsman, which has the power to order a landlord to apologise, carry out works or pay financial compensation. "The human cost of poor living conditions is evident, with long-term impacts on community cohesion, educational attainment, public health, and economic productivity," said Mr Blakeway. "Without change we effectively risk the managed decline of one of the largest provisions of social housing in Europe, especially in areas of lowest affordability. "It also risks the simmering anger at poor housing conditions becoming social disquiet." This is "neither fanciful nor alarmist", he said, adding that tenant activism formed its roots decades ago in the 1960s, and referencing the ongoing "shock" over the Grenfell Tower fire and the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in recent years. The 2017 tower block blaze which killed 72 people, and the death of Awaab in 2020, caused by prolonged exposure to mould in his home, have put the spotlight on housing standards and safety. Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa told the BBC that he was "shocked but not surprised" by the ombudsman's report. He pointed out that for complaints to reach the ombudsman, tenants will have to formally raised the issue with the landlord. Mr Tweneboa said social housing residents he has spoken to say they feel they are not listened to and that the culture within housing organisations "just isn't right". "They feel they are just a rental figure at the end of each month." "In some cases, residents are left to suffer for years," Mr Tweneboa says, adding that he knows of instances in which families with children have to "defecate in bin bags, urinate in bottles because they've been without a toilet for months". The National Housing Federation, which represents England's housing associations, said quality and safety of homes was their "top priority", and the sector was spending record sums on repairs and maintenance. Chief executive Kate Henderson said: "Crippling cuts to social housing over many years have exacerbated quality issues, as the ombudsman recognises, and only an increase in funding can address this over the long-term." Overcrowding is a "significant contributor" to issues such as damp and mould, she added. In a statement, a Ministry of Housing spokesperson said: "Everyone deserves to live in a safe, secure home and despite the situation we have inherited, we are taking decisive action to make this a reality." "We will clamp down on damp, mould and other hazards in social homes by bringing in Awaab's Law for the social rented sector from October, while we will also introduce a competence and conduct standard for the social rented sector to ensure staff have the right skills, knowledge and experience to do their jobs effectively." Plans to tackle IOM's key housing issues unveiled Rat infestation is blighting area, say residents We're treated like peasants, say tenants in fight over mouldy homes
Pembrokeshire Herald
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
New Welsh Housing Survey to be launched after eight-year gap
Survey will include home inspections and fuel poverty data A NEW nationwide housing survey is set to take place in Wales for the first time since 2017. The Welsh Government has confirmed it will commission a new Welsh Housing Survey in 2027-28, following pressure from housing experts and members of the Senedd. The survey will provide up-to-date evidence on housing conditions, fuel poverty, and the quality of homes across Wales. Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, said she had approved the business case to move forward with the project, which will be more detailed than the previous survey delivered in 2017-18. The Herald understands that the survey will be broadly comparable to the English Housing Survey and will consist of two parts: a social survey and a physical home inspection. The social survey will collect data from households, including income levels and housing experiences, to support fuel poverty analysis. Meanwhile, qualified surveyors will carry out home inspections to assess the fabric and condition of properties. Ms Bryant said: 'Administrative data like Energy Performance Certificates and council tax records are increasingly used, but they cannot fully meet our evidence requirements. A comprehensive survey is still needed.' She added that the expanded survey will help inform a wide range of policies, including those on affordable housing, second homes, and homelessness. A tendering process will begin by the end of the 2025-26 financial year, with fieldwork due to start in 2027-28. Headline results are expected in 2028-29, with a full report to follow in 2029-30. The Cabinet Secretary said she would keep Members of the Senedd updated as the work progresses.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boomer property wealth hits record £2.89 trillion
Baby boomers housing wealth has swelled to a record £2.89 trillion, analysis shows. Research by property firm Savills found that those aged over 60 own 56pc of the nation's owner-occupied homes, while those aged under 35 hold just 6pc. The trend was pinned on the rise in boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – becoming mortgage free. In total, properties owned by the over-60s are worth £2.95 trillion – just £60bn of which is outstanding mortgage debt. By comparison, those aged under 35 hold £600bn in property – half of which is mortgage debt. Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills, said: 'Over the past 10 years, debt has become a less important component of the growth in the value of the nation's housing stock, with increasingly more equity concentrated among older homeowners and investors. 'The baby boomers have continued to build wealth, having paid off their mortgage debt, and Generation X has been working hard to achieve the same goal. 'Meanwhile, Generations Y and Z have had much less opportunity to work their way up the housing ladder profitably.' It comes as boomers face increasing pressure to downsize to free up homes for young families. Last month, Tony Blair's think tank called for larger properties to be taxed more to encourage owners to downsize. Researchers at the Tony Blair Institute proposed that the council tax system – in which bills are based on the property's value in April 1991 – is ripped up and replaced with a levy set at 0.5pc of the home's current value. Thomas Smith, the institute's director of economic policy, said the move would 'incentivise homeowners in larger, under-occupied properties to downsize, improving housing market fluidity and supporting economic mobility'. Nearly 10 million homes in England had at least two unused bedrooms last year, according to the English Housing Survey, with pensioners accounting for the largest share of these homeowners. However, David Forsdyke, of Knight Frank Finance, said older homeowners tend to be 'asset rich, but cash poor', and that their pensions sometimes do not cover their living expenses. Figures published this week by the Equity Release Council found that the amount of money extracted from the value of homes rose by roughly a third in the three months to March, compared to last year. Mr Forsdyke said: 'Older homeowners are borrowing more to cover their cost of living, which has risen sharply in the past five years. 'Equity release offers a solution whereby they can draw down small amounts to top up their income. Others simply borrow to gift money to their children or grandchildren.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
