Legal Action Threat against Government over Welfare Changes and Right to Buy

Cambridge City Council could lead a coalition of councils and housing associations in taking legal action against the Government's budget plans amid claims its policies are "a political exercise in social cleansing". There has been unanimous condemnation of the Tory's budget changes and proposals to extend right to buy to housing associations. Councillors of all colours backed plans to send letters to MPs Daniel Zeichner and Heidi Allen urging them to do all they can in Parliament to fight the cause of city housing tenants. But council leader Cllr Lewis Herbert and executive councillor for housing Cllr Kevin Price said the council was considering far more serious action over changes to the likes of housing benefit and social rents. Read more on the Cambridge News website.

Right to Buy Scandal As Almost Half Sold Are Now Rented Out

Government plans to extend right to buy have received a fresh barrage of criticism after it emerged almost half of the homes sold under the legislation in Cambridge could currently be let out. Cambridge City Council retains the freehold on 1,133 of its properties sold under right to buy. And the council says 482 of these are currently being rented out – despite the whole point of the legislation being to empower people to own their own home. City MP Daniel Zeichner said: "It is no surprise that so many properties sold under right to buy are now being let – and sadly, many of these will be occupied by people on low pay who qualify for housing benefit.” Read more on the Cambridge News website.

Benefit Cuts Pushing Claimants Out Of City

Anecdotal information suggests that some benefit claimants have started to move out of Cambridge to cheaper areas and the city council is not expecting the situation to get better anytime soon.  In its draft housing strategy for the next three years Cambridge City Council says the Government's welfare reforms mean the LHA is now "insufficient" to cover even lower quartile private rents in the city.  The report says: "Anecdotal information suggests that some benefit claimants have started to move out of the city to cheaper areas. As well as the effects on the people concerned, this could impact on recruitment by local businesses, on travel to work patterns, on the balance of communities, etc."  The document says that other reforms, including the removal of the single-room rate for single people aged 25-34, increased deductions for non-dependants etc are also "starting to impact on a number of claimants".  Read more on 24dash.

Council Calls for Government Rethink On Rent

The government is coming under increasing pressure to cap rent increases for council tenants after local authorities warned that 8 per cent hikes are likely to affect the most vulnerable residents. Cambridge Council has written to the CLG urging it to adjust the formula that dictates how much councils should add on to tenants’ rents. The letter to CLG said that the proposed increases for 2012/13, which will be more than 8 per cent in many parts of the country, including Cambridge, could increase the housing benefit bill at a time when government policy is focused on moving people away from welfare dependency. Download a copy of the letter from the Defend Council Housing website.