'No Homelessness' Pledge Over 'Bedroom Tax'

Bolton at Home has become the first housing association in the country to introduce a “no homelessness” policy to help ease the burden of the so-called “bedroom tax”.  The organisation — which owns 18,000 properties across the borough — has pledged that no-one in Bolton will be left without somewhere to live because of the new controversial under-occupancy charge.  The policy means any tenants evicted from their home due to rent arrears accrued solely as a result of the charge — or “bedroom tax” as it has been branded by opponents — will be “guaranteed” a move to another home, as long as they co-operated to address their issues with arrears. Read more on the Bolton News website.

10,000 People in Bolton Use Food Banks

More than 10,000 people in crisis have turned to food banks in Bolton for emergency support in just six months.  New figures released by Bolton’s two food bank providers showed an average of 1,970 people used food bank vouchers every month between December and the end of May — about 492 a week — figures described by religious and political leaders as “deeply shocking”. And families are said to be having to make a “daily choice between heating their home, feeding their children and feeding themselves”. Read more on the Bolton News website.