Bedroom Tax Failing To Free Up Larger Homes

The bedroom tax is failing to free up larger social homes in London, according to research by the G15 group of housing associations. Interim findings from the Real London Lives project reveal around a quarter of tenants were affected by the bedroom tax between 2013 and 2015, but 74% of those affected in 2013 remained in the same situation over the three-year study period. Of the remaining one quarter, 12% stopped receiving housing benefit and 14% no longer had extra bedrooms due to changes in family circumstances.  Only a handful of residents affected by the bedroom tax said they had moved as a direct result of the policy. Read more on the G15 website.

Social Housing Myths Debunked

The myths that social housing residents are characterised by high levels of benefit dependency, long-term unemployment and limited aspiration are debunked by new research. The latest Real London Lives report from the g15 group of London’s largest housing associations also shows that, contrary to common perceptions, migrants and single parents have no advantage in the allocation of housing. The research is the first qualitative report from a three-year study commissioned from the University of York and demonstrates that housing association residents in London live lives of remarkable diversity. Download either the full report or a summary from the Real London Lives website.

London's Social Housing Tenants Exposed

A new report has shed light onto the lives of 1,600 London social housing tenants. The research found that the average tenant in the capital has been living at their address for seven years - and 80% agree that their neighbourhood feels like home. Meanwhile, housing benefit administration was discovered to be the main reason for tenants falling behind on their rent. 60% have the right number of bedrooms according to the bedroom standard, with just 15% of those in receipt of full housing benefit with one or more extra bedrooms.  The report on the Real London Lives research project by g15, a group of London’s largest housing associations, reveals the facts behind the one in 10 Londoners who live in their homes.  It is the first time such large-scale independent research into the lives of people living in housing association homes has been undertaken. Read more on the Real London Lives website.