Sunday, August 16, 2015

Social Rents in Newham are the highest in country

UPDATE: I have seen an email circulated that these figures only refer to rents charged by private registered social housing landlords (not council housing). This is even more strange. Why does Newham have the highest RSL rents in the country? What controls do we have as a Council over RSL rents? What are average rents for Council owned properties? What is the impact does the Council controlled RSL "Local Space" or the former Olympic athletes accommodation in East Village? I will update my Cllrs enquiry once I get a full reply.

"Figures showing the borough has the least affordable social housing in the country have prompted calls for action from campaigners and MP Stephen Timms.

Newham came top of 338 locations with an average rent of £128.89 a week, the Office for National Statistics data covering England and Wales revealed, but the borough was bottom when it came to pay in the capital, with average gross weekly salaries of £111.10".

I was genuinely shocked to see this report in the Newham Recorder last week. I'll raise a Councillors members enquiry to find out why the Council thinks our rents are so high.  Newham is still a relatively low cost housing area in London? Are Housing associations rents to blame? Or are the so called "affordable" (80% average of market) rents for many new Council tenants?

Average weekly social housing rent as a % of 10th percentile gross weekly salary: The 10 highest and lowest areas, England & Wales, 2014
Local authority codeLocal authority name
Weekly average social housing rent as a % of 10th percentile gross weekly salary: The 10 highest and lowest areas
W06000001 Isle of Anglesey 43.73
W06000010 Carmarthenshire 47.55
E09000019 Islington 48.06
W06000006 Wrexham 48.25
E07000120 Hyndburn 49.79
E07000122 Pendle 50.81
E06000047 County Durham 51.35
E07000140 South Holland 52.35
E09000013 Hammersmith and Fulham 52.87
E07000172 Broxtowe 52.88
E09000002 Barking and Dagenham 102.47
E07000239 Wyre Forest 103.27
E07000065 Wealden 104.54
E07000070 Chelmsford 107.80
E07000069 Castle Point 110.63
E07000179 South Oxfordshire 111.26
E07000144 Broadland 111.57
E07000037 High Peak 112.81
E09000025 Newham 116.01
E07000207 Elmbridge 122.93
Source: Office for National Statistics, Stats Wales and Valuation Office Agency



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