By Mary Pimm, SHAC member and Victoria Park Community Association Chair In November 2024, the Mayor of London initiated a consultation about devising a Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) plan. It ended early in the spring last year. The Deputy Mayor for Housing, Tom Copley, has recently reported on its findings to those who, like… Continue reading London Rents A Blow to Key Workers
More than 100 activists gathered in person and online on the 11th October to plan a national tenants and residents (housing) union. The event was organised by SHAC as the basis for forming an independent action group that can transform the vision into reality. Attendees included those leading local action on their estates, regional groups… Continue reading Conference Agrees to Build a Housing Union
By Arti Dillon My experience tells me that having people shipped off to expensive locations isn't new. As a teenager, we were placed in a hotel room in central London because we couldn't afford a rent deposit after cuts to benefits that would have previously provided rent deposits for low income families. Our new, temporary… Continue reading A Million Empty Homes and a Housing Shortage
When the new round of service charge demands began to take effect at the start of April, SHAC found itself supporting a host of new tenant and resident groups embarking on service charge strikes. Tenants and residents are often presented as being helpless in the face of superior landlord power, with their bottomless resources, ready… Continue reading Tenants and Residents Turn to Radical Action
The Regulator of Social Housing has reported that service charge income for housing associations soared by 15.8% to £1.9 billion in the year to March 2024. Also in 2024, service charge disputes brought to the First Tier Tribunal concurred that tenants and residents had been overcharged in over 70% of cases. Taken together, these figures… Continue reading Tribunals Research Finds Overcharging in 70% of Cases as HA Service Charge Income Soars
By Lindsay Bush Isn’t it interesting, and a coincidence, that Matthew Pennycook MP (Minister of State for Housing and Planning) made a statement just one day ahead of the BBC publishing a major investigation into leaseholders suffering inflated charges and lack of services for the privilege?! Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and… Continue reading Leasehold and the Enforcement Gap
The new Labour government has tied its colours firmly to the landlord mast with a declaration that social landlords (both housing associations and councils) will be allowed to raise rents above-inflation for the next decade. It is a guarantee to housing associations that no matter what happens in the economy, they will enjoy an inflation-busting… Continue reading Labour’s Ten Year Rent Robbery Pledge
All names have been changed Tower Court is a new build development located at Stamford Hill, London. There are four buildings on the estate, which was developed by Countrywide, with Hackney Council taking on the role of managing agent when it was completed. Bella made her home in the Peregrine Court building, and was immediately… Continue reading Our Stories – The Hackney Residents Saga
By Mary Pimm Despite the vile weather on the evening of Thursday 8th February, tenants gathered at a packed housing meeting in Westminster. It brought together those living on various ex-crown estates which had been transferred some time ago to Peabody Trust. The agenda had a single item only: the fact that Peabody proposes to… Continue reading Peabody Crown Estate Tenants Resist 9.4% Rent Rises
As major announcements go, this year's statement on the social rent cap (SRC) has to be one of the quietest in history. A page on the Regulator of Social Housing's website confirms government's return to the social rent cap formula. Unlike last year, there was no fanfare heralding its arrival. It means that the majority… Continue reading Social and Other Housing Assocation Rents to Rise by 7.7% in April
