Tenants Face £70m Rent Rise As Social Housing Converted To 'Affordable' Homes

London’s poorest households have been hit by a £70m rent rise as housing associations quietly switch thousands of tenancies to higher rates to make up a shortfall in government funding. About 25,000 homes in the capital have been converted from “social” housing to “affordable” since 2012, according to latest figures from the Greater London authority, and thousands more are to follow in a policy that has sparked tenants’ rebellions. Social rents are typically half market rate, while so-called “affordable” tariffs are up to 80% of private rents, leading to complaints the definition of affordable is “Orwellian”. Read more on the Guardian website.