Barnet Council has announced new housing strategies based in part on its experience of a declining private rental sector.
London’s new neighborhood Housing strategy, homeless people and sleeping on the street proposes to increase the supply of affordable rental and owned housing with the goal of delivering 1,000 new subsidized homes at 50% of market rental rates and upgrading the council’s housing stock to zero net worth by 2030 .
He also wants to improve the quality of private sector rental properties and promote the rights of private tenants.
In its strategy reportThe council cites the ongoing contraction of the private rental sector due to affordability challenges, as well as increasing demands from private landlords affecting viability.
Hiring
He says: “Historically, Barnet has had strong access to the private rental sector, which has helped reduce temporary accommodation figures. The private rental sector is contracting and fewer leases are now taking place in the private rental sector.”
In considering how to prevent homelessness, he says that in the past, many people have been supported to stay in their homes as part of Barnet Homes’ homelessness prevention work, including through the use of financial interventions such as Discretionary Payments from living place.
Challenging
The report adds: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep people in their existing leases due to affordability constraints and an increase in private sector landlords leaving the market.”
Chairman of the housing and growth committee, labor councilor ross houston (pictured), says, “We will be consulting on the four new proposed housing-related strategies and policies, and I encourage all residents to get involved in building the future of the Township.”
Read more about landowners abandoning the sector.