People on lowest incomes being denied access to social housing, research finds

"The poorest people in England are being denied access to social housing owing to their low income, in a catch-22 situation that is pushing more people into homelessness, research has found. A new report from Crisis said that an ever depleting supply of social homes meant that housing associations were using strict criteria to choose new tenants, and people on low incomes and in receipt of benefits were having applications denied due to being deemed too risky."

"This means that people are being denied a social home due to fears they will not be able to keep up with their living costs, and the report found 71% of housing associations said the benefit restrictions were a key reason for this. Concerns around the benefit cap, which is a limit on the total amount of money a working-age household can receive in certain benefits, and the freeze on housing benefit were frequently cited as reasons why more affordability checks were being done."

An ever-depleting supply of social homes has led housing associations to adopt strict tenant-selection criteria. People on low incomes and those receiving benefits are being deemed too risky and denied offers. Tenancy affordability checks and income thresholds exclude applicants from social rent homes. Benefit restrictions, including the benefit cap and a freeze on housing benefit, are driving more affordability checks and removals from housing registers. Households with complex needs face higher rejection because of concerns about sustaining tenancies. These practices create a catch-22 that pushes more people toward homelessness and prompt calls for government intervention.

Read at www.theguardian.com