Freeze Rents & Service Charges Campaign This report is written on behalf of SHAC and does not represent the views of the Homes for Us Coalition The Labour Party will not support the call for a freeze on rents and service charges, according to Matthew Pennycook, Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning. The statement was… Continue reading No Support from Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister
Category: Rent Strike
Mass Action to Tackle Housing Association Service Charge Abuse
SHAC and FindOthers have teamed up to develop a unique online tool to request and chase service charge packs. It is part of a long term SHAC campaign to end service charge abuse by housing associations. Requests and Complaints Made Easy The platform removes a lot of drudgery from the process with pre-set letters to… Continue reading Mass Action to Tackle Housing Association Service Charge Abuse
Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza
We won, and it's worthy of a celebration. It took 54,000 signatures on a petition, and a threatened mass mobilisation to picket & protest at the event. It also took an increased media focus on the failings of the social housing sector which was triggered by a coroner confirming that a two year-old boy had… Continue reading Protests Force Cancellation of Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza
Social Housing Tenants Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay Rent & Service Charge Rises
Social housing tenants and residents have reacted with anger and dismay at Government's announcement allowing social rents to rise by up to 7%. Many say that it will inflict an unmanageable burden on their budgets. It is expected that almost all housing associations will utilise the full allowance. Supported housing is exempted from the rent… Continue reading Social Housing Tenants Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay Rent & Service Charge Rises
Protestors to Picket Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza
SHAC has organised a picket of the annual UK Housing Awards after almost 54,600 people signed our petition calling on organisers to cancel the extravaganza. We are encouraging tenants, residents, housing campaigners, and all those opposed to the commercialisation of social housing to join us. The picket will take place from 11am on Friday 25th… Continue reading Protestors to Picket Housing Executives Awards Extravaganza
RPI Inflation Sets Shared Owner Rent Rises at around 14.6%
Announcement of the September 'RPI' inflation figure has sealed the rent rises that the majority of shared owners will be expected to pay. The RPI increase was confirmed by government as 12.6%, which translates into rent increases of 13.1% - 14.6%, depending on the formula used in the lease. Worst of Both Worlds Shared owners… Continue reading RPI Inflation Sets Shared Owner Rent Rises at around 14.6%
Outsized Letter Demands Rent Freeze and Eviction Ban
Housing Campaigners Demand gathered outside the department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) on Thursday 6th October demanding a freeze on social rents and service charges, plus, a new eviction ban to stop those unable to pay from losing their homes. The group handed over an outsized letter to Simon Clarke, Secretary of State,… Continue reading Outsized Letter Demands Rent Freeze and Eviction Ban
Fighting for Frozen Rents & Service Charges
Government has invited organisations and individuals to give a view on where the social rent cap should be set, taking effect from next April. Their deadline is 12th October 2022. SHAC has submitted a response, and is encouraging everyone to do the same. You do not need to be part of an organisation, but can… Continue reading Fighting for Frozen Rents & Service Charges
Shared Ownership Mis-sold, Watchdog Rules
The Advertising Standards Agency has ruled that adverts for shared ownership properties misled prospective buyers by leaving out essential information on costs, and failing to alert them to the greater risks associated with this product. We … understood that there were potential risks that existed with Shared Ownership which would not exist for those buying… Continue reading Shared Ownership Mis-sold, Watchdog Rules
Nothing to be Proud of: Cancel Your Awards Ceremony
More than 53,600 people have now signed SHAC's petition calling on organisers to cancel the housing executive's annual extravaganza. Click here to sign In September, once we approached 50,000 signatories, we wrote to Pete Apps, Editor in Chief at Inside Housing, and Gavin Smart, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, the two organisers… Continue reading Nothing to be Proud of: Cancel Your Awards Ceremony