Lib Dems Propose New Help To Rent Scheme

Rent controls and an increased investment in social housing have been proposed in the Liberal Democrat election manifesto. Overseeing a ‘substantial building programme’, plans include that of building 100,000 homes for social rent each year, helping to ensure the current demand of 300,000 homes is met. A full reform of the private rented sector is also outlined, with a focus on helping young people into the rental market by establishing a new Help to Rent scheme to provide government-backed tenancy deposit loans for all first-time renters under 30. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/lib-dems-propose-new-help-to-rent-scheme-ahead-of-election/

Homeless Schemes To Benefit From New Help-To-Rent Fund

Crisis has announced the first beneficiaries of a £150,000 fund intended to support projects working to help people who are – or at risk of becoming – homeless. Five UK housing projects have been chosen to benefit from the Help-to-Rent fund, which has been commissioned by Crisis. The funding will help the projects to continue their work to help single homeless people to find long-term solutions to their homelessness, the charity said. The winners were announced to delegates attending Crisis’, ‘The Private Rented Sector – A Home For All?’ conference. Funded by the Oak Foundation, the conference explored challenges in the sector including access, affordability, standards and security, but also where practice can only go so far and where policy needs to change. Read more on the Crisis website.

Lib Dems Set Out a Help to Rent Scheme For Young People

The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to provide government loans for tenancy deposits to help young people to rent their first home. The party’s proposed “help to rent” scheme would allow people aged 18 to 30 to borrow up to £1,500 (£2,000 in London) from the government to use as a deposit on rented accommodation. The loans would be repaid over a period of either 12 or 24 months. The party says many young people are struggling to save deposits to rent without help from family members, forcing them to live with their parents for longer. The average rental deposit in the UK is £1,200, usually six weeks of rent. Read more on the Property Wire website.