Lack of Smaller Homes for Housing Benefit Changes

Social landlords do not have enough smaller properties to accommodate tenants whose housing benefit is cut because they are underoccupying their homes. That was the stark warning issued by council and housing association chiefs to MPs considering the Welfare Reform Bill. David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation and Steve Reed, from London Councils, said there was not enough capacity in the sector to move tenants from homes where they have at least one more room than they need into smaller properties. When asked whether social landlords had enough homes to move these tenants into, Cllr Reed said: ‘No. We do not have properties available in those numbers.’ Read more on Inside Housing.