Tenants Plagued By Financial Stress

Over half (54%) of renters have concerns about being unable to pay their rent due to financial difficulty, research from Intus Lettings has found. The average rent contribution per month is £530, while half of tenants don’t believe their rental property is good value for money. Some 64% of tenants rent because they can’t afford a deposit to buy a property and over half don’t believe they’ll be in a financial position to do so within the next 10 years. Read more on the Property Wire website.

https://www.propertywire.com/news/tenants-plagued-by-financial-stress

Housing Crisis ‘Stops Nearly Two Million From Having Children’

Housing stress is potentially stopping nearly two million people from having children, a report from the Affordable Housing Commission (AHC) has revealed. The report is based on a poll showing 13% of UK adults under the age of 45 in a couple have delayed or not had children due to their housing situation – potentially affecting 1.8m people nationally. Generation Rent says the poll finding should further pressure the government to make provision in the budget for investment in new council homes. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/housing-crisis-stops-nearly-2m-from-having-children/

Workplace Stress In The Housing Sector Is A Major Issue

In 2016/17 12.5 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety and 526,000 workers were suffering from work-related mental health issues. With 9.7 million workers saying that in 2016/17 their productivity is damaged by stress and anxiety caused by the workplace. Across the country workloads are reported to be growing and this is a particular issue in the social housing sector as it seeks to respond to the UK’s housing crisis and unsettled political and economic landscape. More than ever before, the success of social housing sector depends upon the commitment and dedication of the people who work in the sector. Therefore, reducing stress at work and improving the wellbeing of colleagues has never been more important for the continued delivery of core housing services. Read more on the CIH website.

http://www.cih.org/news-article/display/vpathDCR/templatedata/cih/news-article/data/Workplace_stress_in_the_housing_sector_is_a_major_issue_that_we_must_tackle

Arrears Cause Most Stress to UK Residential Landlords

The majority of landlords in the UK find managing their properties stressful with arrears causing the most worry, new research has found.  They are having to deal with complex issues such as new regulations, rent arrears, and tax as well as the everyday issues of repairs, insurance and void periods. The research reveals that rent arrears causes the most stress, cited by 87% of respondents while 80% said dealing with tenant complaints was the main stress, followed by 43 for repairs to properties, 40% the new immigration laws and 28% securing finance to expand their buy to let portfolios. A quarter of landlords cited tax and inland revenue as a major reason for getting worried and anxious, while a third said it is void periods.  Read more on the Property Wire website.

Universal Credit at Risk of Collapse?

The flagship welfare reform has recently been described as “in meltdown” by its own staff.  In a survey by the PCS union, more than half of the staff admitted that they don’t think Universal Credit is an improvement for benefit claimants.Other key findings include:

·         90% of staff said they believe the multi million pound IT systems are less than adequate,

·         70% thought staffing levels were less than adequate,

·         Four in five said that the training given was less than adequate to prepare them for successfully working on the scheme,

·         Stress levels have increased amongst the majority of staff,

·         Two thirds said they were frequently asked to work overtime.

Read more on the Ready Rentals blog.

Tenants Hit By Bedroom Tax Suffer Range Of Health Problems

According to the first study of the health impact of the controversial welfare policy, tenants affected by the bedroom tax report high levels of stress, anxiety, hunger, poor diet, and depression. The study finds that worries around debt, rent arrears and the prospect of being forced to move from their family home produced a sense of “hopelessness verging on desperation”. They reported being trapped in a “vicious cycle” of loneliness and isolation; they could often no longer afford to go to the pub or cafe, or even carry out family roles such as grandparenting.  Read more on the Guardian website.

Housing Costs Cause Stress and Depression for Millions

A new survey from Shelter has revealed the emotional strain faced by millions of families as they struggle to meet their housing costs. According to the research:

    *almost one in three adults (equivalent to 15 million people) say housing costs are causing stress and depression in their family

    *one in four (equivalent to 12.2 million people) are kept awake at night by the stress of paying their rent or mortgage

    *one in four say housing costs are causing arguments with their partner and other family members.

The findings follow on from Shelter’s earlier research, which showed 7.8 million people are constantly struggling to keep up with their rent or mortgage, an increase of 44% from the same time last year. Read more on the Shelter website.