Earlier this month I put pen to paper on my first opinion piece for the Plymouth Live, writing on the consequences of the Renters' Rights Bill for South West Devon.
As a member of the bill committee, charged taking oral evidence and reviewing the bill line-by-line, I have become only more aware of its potentially disastrous consequences for our area's private rental sector. As changes to legislation force local landlords to sell up en masse, vulnerable tenants will be forced into temporary accommodation, deepening our housing crisis.
Read the full piece here:
Born, raised and residing in our corner of Devon, I, like many locals, have felt the pressures of an acute housing shortage firsthand. It is incumbent on our elected officials to put in the hard yards and find policy solutions to issues which affect people's lives; few more so than a place to call home.
It is with this in mind that I joined the Public Bill Committee for the Renters’ Rights Bill. This cross-party committee set up by the House of Commons examines the nitty-gritty of the proposed legislation. In this early phase of the committee, MP’s meet twice a week to take evidence from key stakeholders, examine the Bill line by line and review each provision in detail, ensuring the legislation is both fair and fit for purpose.
My interest in housing and homelessness began when I worked in Plymouth City Council’s Homeless and Social Housing Unit way back in 2003 and ultimately propelled me to serve as its Cabinet Member for Homes and Communities some 20 years later. I’ve seen the challenges tenants face on this journey firsthand - the insecurity, the lack of affordable housing, poor housing, damp and mould, and the perpetual fear of eviction and having to start all over again.
Central reforms – such as abolishing Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and limiting rent increases – will affect over 4.6 million households that rent privately in England, including a quarter of households in South West Devon. The Bill’s stated purpose to protect renters is commendable, but the implications of its policies on the private renting sector must be considered in their entirety.
So, what are those implications? Local residential landlords' associations have warned me that abolishing ‘no-fault’ evictions without improving the court system to manage disputes will likely push private landlords out of the sector and place even more pressure on our local housing stock.
A local landlord of 25 years recently wrote to me to warn that this ill-conceived policy will force them to sell up their entire portfolio of 89 rental properties. Such a move, results in 89 more households requiring temporary accommodation as they seek replacement accommodation – a pressing issue given the demand for rental property in Plymouth, where there are currently 50 inquiries for every home. When I highlighted this issue during the first debate on the Bill, I was one of the first MPs to raise the risk, and it received significant attention from both local and national media.
The key issue is access. If those homes are no longer available to rent, it does not help the people in Plymouth who desperately need somewhere to live. And when families and individuals are forced into temporary accommodation through no fault of their own because of a lack of rental properties, the problem only just begins. Your world is turned upside down – your children’s education is disrupted, getting to work becomes challenging, routines broken, there’s no personal space, no access to a washing machine, often nowhere to cook or store food and the list goes on and on.
Our housing market is already stretched thin. Plymouth City Council’s Chief Executive described the city’s market as “failing to meet demand”, with 365 households in temporary accommodation, 162 of which are shockingly in bed and breakfasts. This Bill in its current form risks compounding the issue, not solving it.
With that said, I am interested in finding increasingly effective policy solutions, not finger wagging. To create the fairer housing system we all desire, we must ensure that tenants can access secure, affordable rent without eroding the foundation of the sector. I will use my position in the Public Bill Committee to urge the Government to strike a better balance between accessibility and security in the housing market.
If you need help with housing or any other issue and live in South West Devon please get in touch – email [email protected] or call 01752 335666.
