System Will 'Explode Around the Edges', Warns Housing Boss

The chief executive of a community-based housing association has warned that the Government's housing and welfare reforms will do little to ease waiting lists and says there are "real dangers" in the way it’s cutting welfare payments.  Mark Powell Davies, chief executive of Colne Housing Society  said the association was already seeing a rise in street homelessness and said the combination of a household benefit cap coupled with higher social housing rents would push people into “a poverty and benefit trap”.  He said: “There are real dangers the system is going to explode around the edges. We’re already seeing more street homelessness."  He added he was unsure about how far housing associations could go in filling in the gaps left by voluntary bodies and charities which have lost their grants from their local authorities.  Read more on 24dash.