ADAMS says:
Contrary to urban myth not ALL council tenants are on housing benefit
In January 37% of Northampton council tenants were receiving no benefit related to housing (so far as the council is aware)
Universal Credit seems to be a problem
The 16.16% that are on Universal Credit are carrying 47% of the councils rent arrears
They are shameless!
Housing Associations (also known as ‘registered providers’) push rents over maximum housing benefit level leaving tenants to pay rent shortfalls.
Milking the so called [i] “affordable rent”
Most rents charged by councils or housing associations are called social rents. Social rents are lower than rents for similar private rented properties.
At least Northampton Partnership Homes (Northampton Borough Council) seems to be only taking it to the max LHA rate….
DEMAND that the government build more social housing at social rent
In the example below £17.30 shortfall
| Landlord: | Charge Adjusted | Max LHA rate | ||
| Social Rent Average three bed | Northampton Borough Council | £89.59 | £144.04 | -£54.45 |
| 3 bed new build | Northampton Borough Council | £144.04 | £144.04 | £0.00 |
| 3 bed new build | EMH Homes | £161.34 | £144.04 | £17.30 |
[i] Council and housing association landlords can also charge up to 80% of market rents on some of their homes, usually new-build properties. This is called affordable rent.
| ADAMS Says… | |||
| If the government is serious about managing the Welfare Bill, why is the only growth area in so called “Affordable rent” homes, we have seen this grow to now having 118 in NBC stock which have the potential to add over £207k a year to it? | |||
| The affordable | if they were social | ||
| number in the housing stock | rent take per WK | rent take per WK | |
| 57 | 1 bedroom | £6,260.31 | £4,353.66 |
| 20 | 2 bedroom | £2,726.00 | £1,817.80 |
| 35 | 3 bedroom | £4,674.60 | £3,397.10 |
| 5 | 4 bedroom | £663.90 | £522.10 |
| 1 | 5 bedroom | £208.81 | £113.44 |
| Total rent per week | Total rent per week | ||
| £14,533.62 | £10,204.10 | ||
| Rent *48 weeks | Rent *48 weeks | ||
| £697,613.76 | £489,796.80 | ||
| Added cost = £207,816.96 | |||
| ADAMS Says…To be as blunt as ever if you want to run a model called Housing First it is stating the bloody obvious that first you need the bloody housing! | ||||
| Labour Councillors have put a motion on housing to the meeting of 9th March | ||||
| Councillor Smith to propose, and Councillor T Eales to second | ||||
| “The cost of temporary accommodation is putting huge pressure on our budget every year. It is time to call a halt to this. We call on the council to house eligible families in permanent housing straight away. This would be kinder, cheaper, and more effective. We call on the council to use the Homes First model to take people off the street and make them safe. | ||||
| Adams says…. | ||||
| To be as blunt as ever if you want to run a model called Housing First it is stating the bloody obvious that first you need the bloody housing! | ||||
| Social Rent | Affordable Rent | Total Stock | ||
| 1st April 2013 | 12,047 | 0 | 1st April 2019 | 12,047 |
| 1st January 2020 | 11,229 | 118 | 1st January 2020 | 11,347 |
| One for one replacement my arse | ||||
| Social Rent | Affordable Rent | Total Stock | ||
| -818 | 118 | -700 | ||
| Since 1st April 2013 Northampton Borough Council housing stock numbers have been in decline we now have 700 less stock, BUT please note the ones for social rent have declined by 818 | ||||
9 March upbeat report from Cabinet member for housing
| 9th March 2020 – Cabinet Member Report for Housing and Wellbeing | ||||
| Council House New Build Programme New build developments are progressing very well at Toms Close (21 homes), Witham Way Kingsheath (12 homes) and a number of former garage sites in Briar Hill and Delapre. All of these developments will be completed by the end of March 2020. | ||||
| Adams says…. | ||||
| Social Rent | Affordable Rent | Total Stock | ||
| 1st April 2019 | 11,395 | 88 | 1st April 2019 | 11,423 |
| 1st January 2020 | 11,229 | 118 | 1st January 2020 | 11,347 |
| 1st April 2020 | 1st April 2020 | |||
| Social Rent | Affordable Rent | Total Stock | ||
| YTD | YTD | YTD | ||
| -166 | 30 | -76 | ||
| I note the upbeat report going to full council March … I will sum up the year when we have the numbers for 1 April … At the moment I see the stock down by 76 and more to the point the social rent ones down by 166 | ||||
Northampton no good news for people on the Housing Register
On 1st January 2020 there were a total of 3,534 people on the housing register.
The table below shows that the numbers are still rising month on month across all bands
Freedom of Information requests
Less than five seems to becoming the stock response to many questions asked?
NPH – 197/20 RESPONCE “Northampton Partnership Homes can confirm there are less than five”
I will be giving making a challenge some consideration
As this is dated Friday 28th February 2020
I have the right to challenge the decision in respect of the information request within 6 months.
