Gap Between LHA And Cheapest Rents Making Housing Unaffordable For Under-35s

The gap between Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates and rents has widened to the point where private rented housing is “out of reach” for under-35s. This is the finding from the latest research into LHA rates by the CIH, which focused on areas with the biggest gap between the set rate and actual market rents. LHA rates should allow applicants to claim enough benefit to pay the rent on a home in the cheapest 30% of the private rented sector. But the CIH’s research found that in 46 areas, less than a quarter of private rented properties are affordable to young benefit claimants. Read more on Inside Housing.