Evictions from social housing in Hackney have soared by 60 percent in the past year, a recent report has revealed.
According to statistics obtained by the Hackney Green Party under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI), 108 households have been evicted from council properties since April 2013.
This increase coincides with last year’s welfare reforms, with 98 of the evictions being caused by families going into arrears.
This report comes as residents from the New Era Estate, Hoxton, continue their battle against new landlords who intend to raise social housing rent to £600 per week for a two bedroom flat.
“That’s well out of our price range,” said Lindsey Garrett, the chair of New Era’s Tenants’ Association. “What they’re doing is absolutely shocking.”
The estate is largely made up of single-parent families and retirees who have lived in the area for decades.
According to research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 90% of council tenants receive some kind of income support.
Labour councillor Philip Glanville queried the tone of the FOI report, saying that all evictions were due to “historical arrears, tenancy fraud or other issues”, rather than welfare reform changes.
According to Positive Money, a not-for-profit organisation concerned with responsible banking, 5,000 families are made homeless every year, with the poorest 10% owing more than four times their household income in rent.
Why is the Labour councillor defending Tory welfare reform policy?
Comments are closed.