SECURE TENANCIES, LEVELS OF RENT AND HOUSING BENEFITS

That this House is concerned that proposals for new fixed-term tenancies for council and housing association tenants, and up to 80 per cent. of market rents for new housing association lettings, combined with cuts in housing benefit rates exclude claimants from high-rent areas in towns, cities and rural areas, will lead to increased rent arrears, evictions and homelessness; is further concerned that while new high rents will drive up housing benefit costs, the proposals will fail to regulate high private rents and not build any of the secure, genuinely-affordable homes for rent needed by the five million on housing waiting lists and others who will be priced out of the unaffordable and insecure private rental and mortgage market; welcomes the Housing Emergency lobby of Parliament on 15 February 2011 demanding that the Government cap rents rather than housing benefit, drop attacks on secure tenancies and proposed means testing of future tenants and stop evictions which will come from cuts in housing benefit; opposes proposals for social rents of up to 80 per cent. market rents; and calls on the Government to build new and improved secure, low rent, accountable council and other housing.