City's survival is 'at risk' under reforms - says Renew architect
A HOUSING expert predicts benefit reforms coupled with a rise in rents will mean some neighbourhoods become nothing more than fly-tipping hotspots.
Brendan Nevin believes parts of Stoke-on-Trent will not survive the next 20 years as a result of Government changes.
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WARNING: An expert says Government social policy could be disastrous for tenants living on benefits.
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North Staffordshire housing regeneration project press conference - Brendan Nevin ------ cutout pics out
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REPORT: Gavin Smart, National Housing Federation, Sinead Butters, of Aspire, and Brendan Nevin at the NASH launch at Keele Hall.
He was commissioned by the Northern Area Social Housing forum (NASH) to look into the effect new policies will have on the city's residents.
Mr Nevin, who helped develop the housing market renewal programme for north Staffordshire, warned in his report that thousands of people across Stoke-on-Trent will see their benefits cut by an average of £13-a-week, while many will be forced to move to smaller accommodation or face becoming homeless.
The report also predicts many council houses will become vacant because the tenants who need them will not be able to afford the rent on reduced benefits, while some landlords will instead subdivide houses to offer accommodation to a number of families or single people.
It says some areas, such as Cobridge and Middleport, may decline to such an extent that businesses will move out and social problems such as widespread drug abuse anti-social behaviour will increase.
Mr Nevin, co-author of the NASH report and director of Nevin Leather Associates, said: "There are some parts of Stoke-on-Trent that I don't think can survive the next 20 years. Parts of northern Stoke-on-Trent will struggle to be sustainable.
"These are areas with a very poor local economy, poor condition of houses, with properties that are 140 years old. The 1990s taught us that areas reach a tipping point where you get a rise in vacancies, fly tipping, and anti-social behaviour.
"It gets transformed and it becomes a downward cycle.
"The view of the Government is that if an area is deteriorating, they are not going to prop it up."
The Government's Localism Bill is designed to transfer power from Westminster to local authorities, individuals, communities and other local institutions.
From 2012/13 local authorities will have to cover their own housing costs through rents they receive, instead of the Government distributing funding and using wealthier councils to top up allocations to deprived areas.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council will impose an average rent increase of 6.91 per cent from April after the proposal was approved at last week's full council meeting.
It means the average rent for the city's 19,000 council homes will rise by £218 in 2012/13, to £64.84 a week.
Aspire Housing's board has agreed a 7.7 per cent rent increase, based on a Government formula. This will see association's 20,000 customers in the region pay an average of £4.98 a week extra from April.
Gavin Smart, assistant director for research and futures, at the National Housing Federation, said: "NASH's timely and welcome study illustrates the housing sector's challenges in the UK."
Sinead Butters, chairman of NASH and chief executive of Aspire, said: "We have already seen the warning signs, but this report confirms the harsh reality of the effects of the Government's proposed reforms on both those who provide and live in social housing.
"Housing association tenants will suffer financially and risk becoming homeless as a result. Housing associations must invest in their services and work with other agencies to support their customers through what will be a traumatic few years ahead."
9 Comments
by MusicHallFan
Friday, February 10 2012, 11:53AM
“Don't know about surviving the next 10 years- we hardly survived the last 10 as far as housing is concerned!”
by rubythursday
Friday, February 10 2012, 11:53AM
“this is so depressing and a huge problem for all of us living in stoke on trent. we must somehow avoid this future and I do not know where to begin. it is obvious that our government has little to offer us so we must somehow revive our area for ourselves.
we need action on strong creative innovative ideas which will involve and include everyone in the area of stoke-on-trent. we can do this but it will take guts and gumption and will need to be a collective effort.”
by stokemaveric
Friday, February 10 2012, 9:52AM
“as steve batkin says we who live here have witnessed the decline in stoke on trent over the years,its not just rent increases tho is it?..this labour council will push residents of this city into further financial hardship when it increases council tax although there is a govt incentive not to..manufacturing in this area has gone forever to the far east...the pottery workers who used to work for the likes of doultons,wedgwoods and other pottery manufacturers and who were treated like something the pottery giants had trodden on in the street,have now found alternative employment in better,cleaner,more well paid jobs and even if pottery manufacturing were to return to the area most of the skilled people would not return to the industry..stoke on trent is dying thanks to the policies and mismanagement of the city council over the years and the greed of pottery manufacturers by sending the pottery industry to the far east where they pay peanuts...”
by MrEneoda
Friday, February 10 2012, 8:51AM
“Anon mow_cop ... surley depends on what you're after .....
A room in a student bedsit might be as cheap as £35 per week ... depending on area ....
£300-£400 per month for a half-decent flat in a new-ish development
Or if you're after a whole house .... skies the limit ... £1000+ per month depending on bederooms and area ....
These are Stoke figures ... approx half of what they are if you are Manchester or Birmingham city centre - and don;t bother asking about London
checkout a number of local letting agents ....”
by Anon_mow_cop
Thursday, February 09 2012, 7:35PM
“Whats the going rate for renting in the private sector, anyone know ????.”
by ghosts
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:45PM
“Everyone not just council tenants are affected by the rise in the cost of living....everything has gone up in price...These reports always seem to focus on people on benefits...at least these people know their money is there every week....we who have to work can't depend on that at the moment...ie...hours cut....if you are self-employed you are lucky in this climate at the moment to have a week's work here and there....so stop focusing on people who live on council estates being so badly affected......a percentage wouldn't want to work because they are quite happy in their little rut...Just how are they going to become homeless?...and as far as reaching a tipping point of antisocial behaviour etc...well this is becoming the norm everywhere due to the soft laws of this great Country...”
by stevebatkin
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:17PM
“The fact is the vast majority of Stoke-on-Trent's population have observed the city's decline over many years and decided they can't be bothered to do anything. In fact the Labour/Tory/Lib-Dem and some Independents have actually voted for the bankers' destruction of our local industry. The only way the city's fortunes can change are if the bankers are pressured into reviving British industry and that will take a lot of people power. It would take a coalition of left/right political groupings to unite and show the city's negative population a tangible lead which they can follow!
http://tinyurl.com/c5fch56”
by MrEneoda
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:04AM
“Sounds like sour grapes from one of Mr Blairs blue-eyed boys .... Brendan and his left-of centre pals fails to recognise that areas like Stoke will continue to attract large numbers of people drawn by its very low rents and house prices relative to the rest of the country ...
As for huge number of Council, Social-rented and Private-rentted houses becoming empty ... this is pure scaremongering .... where would these people go ... cast on to the streets ... i think not ... even if this is Cameron's materplan ... Council's and Housing Associations simply don't have the resources or will to evict masses of tenants .... As for private tenants : even Mr Nevin and his socialist pals can;t tell you how many are receiving benefits - so how can they predict what the impact will be ?”
by bobble1956
Thursday, February 09 2012, 10:27AM
“Still peanuts compared to private rent costs.”