Norwich City Council to increase social housing rent
It's set to hike rent charges despite a recent report naming it as one of the worst social housing providers in the country
City Hall is set to hike its rent charges despite a recent report naming it as one of the worst social housing providers in the country.
Officials at the Norfolk authority say rent levels will need to increase over the next few years in order to balance the books.
This comes in the wake of a report by the Housing Ombudsman Service which rated City Hall “poorly” in comparison to other councils around the UK for providing housing.
The council hopes increasing rent will allow it to invest further in its housing stock and stressed rates would remain “affordable”.
The report by the Housing Ombudsman Service – a public body and service that makes the final decision on disagreements between residents and landlords – found reports of “inefficient or dishonest administration or mismanagement” by City Hall had risen dramatically.
It also reported compensation pay-outs of £11,125 over a year, with more than £5,000 of this sum awarded to tenants because of the condition of the home they have been placed into.
Norwich City Council has one of the biggest stocks of social housing in the country, with 17,609 homes under its jurisdiction, which could impact the number of complaints it has to deal with compared to other authorities.
It is now planning to increase its social housing rent over the next five years due to current charges being “lower than they need to be”.
This will see social housing tenants pay an extra £2.62 per week on average with an enhanced level of rent for specific new homes that offer lower living costs due to enhanced energy efficiency standards.
Beth Jones, cabinet member for housing, said: “We will always ensure our rents remain affordable in line with government regulations.
“But we need to reach a middle ground where we can provide investment in our housing stock. We could have incredibly low rents but then there would be no money for improvements.
“We’ve got to get that balance right.”
Representatives for City Hall say it has already made “strides” in improving the delivery of its housing service and the way complaints are managed.