Housing benefit freeze: 9 in 10 homes unaffordable for families - NHF report

Research by the National Housing Federation shows just how inadequate Local Housing Allowance now is for the 1.3million families who rely on it to cover the high cost of private rent.

This is contributing to children living in overcrowded and poor quality accommodation, as well as increasing levels of poverty and debt; with families who can’t find anywhere affordable to rent likely to end up homeless. The number of homeless children in temporary accommodation has increased by 83% since 2011 to 126,020.

The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations in England – social landlords to over 6 million people, analysed 75,000 rental homes advertised on Zoopla in July 2019. It compared the cost of rent for each property with the rate of Local Housing Allowance that a family requiring that sized property would be entitled to.

Local Housing Allowance was initially designed to cover bottom 50% of market rents in any area. However this was reduced to 30% in 2011. Rates were then divorced from market rents altogether in 2013; and finally frozen in 2016, so they stopped keeping up even with inflation.

There are now parts of the country where less than 1% of private rented properties are covered by the Local Housing Allowance rate, at a time when record numbers of low income families have no other option for finding a home, due to a severe lack of social housing.

The most unaffordable places include:

Area	Total properties advertised for private rent	Not affordable	Affordable	% affordable
Huntingdon	227	226	1	0.44%
Thanet	217	216	1	0.46%
Stevenage & North Herts	159	158	1	0.63%
Ipswich	390	387	3	0.77%
Milton Keynes	508	504	4	0.79%
Peterborough	627	621	6	0.96%
Dover-Shepway	176	174	2	1.14%
Central London	3,747	3,703	44	1.17%
Outer East London	865	854	11	1.27%
Bury St Edmunds	227	230	3	1.30%

The National Housing Federation is urgently calling on the government to:

• End the freeze and increase LHA payments so that they cover at least the bottom 30% of private rent homes in any local area.
• Commit to investing £12.8bn annually in building new social housing, so that fewer families have to depend on unaffordable and insecure privately rented accommodation.

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation said:

Low income families in England are being punished two fold, no longer able to access social housing because of the dire shortage of it, they now can’t access enough housing benefit to rent privately either.

The crippling effects of the housing crisis and significant cuts to benefits have forced thousands of parents into impossible situations in order to keep a roof over their children’s heads, many having to choose between crippling debt, overcrowding or homelessness.

The time to act is now - government must increase LHA payments in line with at least the bottom 30% of rents; as well as investing in building more social housing so we can ensure there are secure and affordable homes for these families in the future.

Case study 

Emma Langdon is 30 and lives with her two young sons in a private rented property in Plymouth. After splitting up with her partner, Emma had to move out of their shared home, and struggled to find anywhere affordable to live. After looking for several months, she could not find a single property covered by the rate of Local Housing Allowance she is entitled to.

To avoid being made homeless, Emma had to move eight miles away from her children’s school. She still has to find an extra £60 each month to pay for the rent. She said: “It’s a nightmare. As well as trying to afford the rent, I’m now spending £50 a week on fuel to get the children to school and back.”

After a year of looking, Emma is still unable to find anywhere more suitable or affordable for her family to live. She said: “It’s practically impossible to find anywhere affordable that accepts people on housing benefit. If we lived nearer the children school it would cost an extra £100 each month in rent, but at least I would save money on petrol and they would be near their friends. There are so many families like us in this situation. I’m lucky to have my father as a guarantor or we wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere to live.”

Momentum mounts event aimed at 'transforming' Brent - Saturday October 12th, Kensal Rise Library

Tickets: https://brent-transformed.eventbrite.com

Although I am a Green Party member I certainly agree that Brent needs to be 'transformed' although that has to be in the right direction (remember the Libraries Transformation project in which our Labour Council closed half our libraries!) Ironically the venue, Kensal Rise Library, is one of those the Council closed. It is run by volunteers after a long struggle to safeguard the building and raise funds.

The event has been mounted by Brent Momentum. This is the description of the event on the Eventbrite page. I will be contributing to a panel on the media and politics

An exciting day of interactive talks and workshops discussing the ideas and policies that can transform Brent for the many, not the few.

About this Event

Inspired by ‘The World Transformed’ festival held alongside the Labour Party conference since 2016, Brent Momentum is holding a day of discussion, debate, and organisation on practical ways to make Brent and the wider world more radically equal, just, democratic and sustainable.Brilliant panel members, including...

James Meadway (Former advisor to Shadow Chancellor)
Kerry-Anne Mendoza (The Canary)
Hilary Wainwright (Red Pepper)
Rebecca Newsom (Head of Politics, Greenpeace)
David Wearing (Author of Angloarabia)
Lara McNeil (Labour NEC Youth Rep)
Emma Dent Coad MP (Kensington)

A great set of topics, including...

Climate crisis and climate justice
Workers in the gig economy
Corbynism
Global Brent / Internationalist solidarity
Municipal Socialism
Media and politics
Youth politics
Inadequate, over-priced housing
Standing for office

Applications now open for local projects to apply for Brent Neighbourhood CIL cash

From Brent Council

We are now open for applications for the NCIL grant Round 2 2019/20.

The deadline is Sunday 1^st December (11.59 p.m.) 2019.

For more information please see our website  www.brent.gov.uk/ncil

You will see:

• Essential shortlisting criteria in order to be eligible
• Amount of money available in each neighbourhood and neighbourhood boundaries
• A list of projects who have received the award ( not including the last round)
• CVS Brent Training sessions
• Who to contact for 1:1 support
• How to apply through our Grants Portal

If you see us tweet about NCIL or a Facebook post we would most appreciate it if you could retweet, share etc. as we want to get  the word out.  Please put up this flyer in appropriate public areas. We are keen for those who have not heard about this fund to hear about it!

If you need any further information or support please do not hesitate to email us or call.

Kind Regards

Kate

Kate Lambert

Partnership Funding Officer

Chief Executives Department

Brent Council

0208 937 1170

Brent needs to devise a strategy to address falling primary school rolls and improve their accountability to schools

 

We will see more scenes like this if Brent Council does not devise a strategy in partnership with headteacher and teacher unions to manage falling pupil rolls.

This is the presentation I made as a local governor and former Brent headteacher at last night's Scrutiny Committee on the Roe Green Strathcona proposed closure.

When schools were asked to have bulge classes or expand as a result of rising pupil numbers some declined for various reasons often to do with school vulnerabilities or the size of the site.

Roe Green infants, despite the difficulties did agree and are now paying for their selflessness and willingness to help the authority out.

They have been treated very poorly.

Governors from other primary schools are watching how this is dealt with very carefully. Some have expanded with new buildings but have not filled the additional spaces, others may be on two sites as Strathcona is and have heard the Council’s argument that such schools are ‘too expensive.’

The vast majority of primary schools in Brent have not academized, choosing to remain under local authority oversight, believing as we do in democratic accountability. 

But accountability goes two ways and the meetings I have attended about Strathcona have undermined my trust in the democratic process.

·     The inaccuracies in the officer’s report were not addressed.

·     The arguments of parents, pupils and staff (including the headteacher) were ignored..

·     The school’s proposal for additional provision on the site was misrepresented and  not responded to.

Instead the Lead member just read aloud extracts from the officer’s report.

People were left with the impression  that the closure was a result of cuts and the council need the money elsewhere , but school funding is ring-fenced so any savings would go into the general schools budget rather than towards other services. It would mean a tiny percentage increase in other school’s budgets and I for one would not want that to be at the expense of the Strathcona community.

If we still had a committee system, with a separate education committee, I feel that this and other proposals would have been properly debated and scrutinised. Some councillors in Sheffield are suggesting a return to that system to ensure better accountability -perhaps Brent should too.

The authority’s initial response to rising school rolls was often ad hoc. We now need a well thought out strategy to address falling rolls.

Treat Roe Green Strathcona’s staff, pupils and parents fairly and win back their trust and respect as well as that of others in the borough.

BREAKING: Brent Scrutiny Committee asks Cabinet to reconsider its decision on Strathcona closure

Cllrs Chan and Kennelly with Jenny Cooper and staff after the meeting

There was jubilation tonight when the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, after hearing representations from Cllrs Jumbo Chan and Daniel Kennelly,  Jenny Cooper of the NEU, staff from the school and community supporters, decided to ask the Cabinet to reconsider its decision to close Roe Green Strathcona School and in particular to look at the proposals for additional provision at the school.


Jumbo Chan addresses school staff, union reps and supporters before the Scrutiny meeting

This does not mean that the school will definitely survive - Cabinet may decide additional provision is not required or will not be for the primary age group - but it is a significant victory for campaigners who were determined to put up a fight.

During the debate Gail Tolley, Strategic Director for Young People and Families, said that in the event of closure and because of the difficulties in recruiting teachers in the borough, she 'had no doubt we would be able to avoid compulsory redundancies.'

Opponents of the closure were infuriated when after detailed presentations by staff and supporters critiquing the evidence used by officers to justify closure rather than answering them the lead member just read from a typed manuscript prepared before the meeting.  He did not answer any of their points and this repeated behaviour in other meetings where he just read from the officer's report. The chair of the school's governing body's Finance Committee gave a detailed rebuttal of some of the financial information in the Cabinet report, others focused on pupil numbers, the failure of the local authority to publicise the school on its admissions website and the Headteacher revealed that the Council's own admissions department had stymied a parent's attempt to send her children to Strathcona because it would affect the school from which they were going to be transferred budget.

Fortunately Brent CEO Carolyn Downs intervened to summarise the questions and points raised and asked the Lead member, Strategic Director and Operational Director to respond and members of the Committee followed up with their own questions. There was a considerable amount of repetition on both sides but deficiencies in the process and evidence base  soon became clear.

Much will depend on the issue of Additional Provision. This is a proposal to site additional provision for primary special needs children on the Strathcona site alongside the mainstream provision. This would enable a degree of integration to take place to the benefit of both sets of pupils and enhance inclusion. Gail Tolley insisted that there was adequate provision for primary SEND children in the borough - in mainsteam schools, units attached to schools and the recently opened Avenue school which is due to expand. She said that the real need was for 16-25 year old provision and could be considered for the site. She made clear several times that such provision was completely separate from the survival of primary provision at the site.

Gail Tolley went on to reject other uses proposed by the school including a teacher training base for the borough, and a refugee resource centre. She suggested that there was not a need for a training centre as the Brent Schools Partnership already provided a service for the schools that bought into it. The borough Teachers Centre at what is now the  Leopold School annex was closed some years ago and BSP training takes place at a number of venues including the Crown Hotel in Cricklewood.

TONIGHT: Support Roe Green Strathcona School's fight against Brent's closure decision - 4.30pm Brent Civic Centre

Tonight staff, parents, pupils and supporters from the community will converge on Brent Civic Centre in Wembley to demonstrate solidarity with Roe Green Strathcona School's spirited fight against Brent Council's decision to close the school. There will be a demonstration outside the Civic Centre from  4.30pm and then people will attend the 6pm Scrutiny Committee which is hearing the call-in of the Cabinet's decision made by eight Labour councillors.

A broad range of speakers are expected to argue that the closure decision was based on inaccurate information with the Council failing to properly consider the strength of local feeling and the alternative proposals put forward by the school.

The closure decision is important as it sets a precedent for other potential moves to close, shrink or amalgamate schools as a result of falling pupil numbers. The National Education Union will be keen to protect their members, who now include support staff as well as teachers, from compulsory redundancy. Most Brent primary schools still come under Brent Council oversight and the Council is the ultimate employer.

The last time falling school rolls hit the primary sector was in the middle and late 1970s resulting in considerable disruption and despondency. With Brent primary schools currently  performing well against national standards it is essential that parents and staff have confidence in the fairness and effectiveness of the local authority.

At a national policy level falling rolls present an opportunity to reduce class sizes in the state sector to begin to match those of private schools.

Kingsbury's surburbia under threat?

44 Queens Walk on the corner of Salmon Street and Queens Walk (view from Queens Walk)

The view from Salmon Street

Neighbours of a proposed development on a site at the junction of Salmon Street and Queens Walk in Kingsbury are expressing consternation at plans for the development of what was a single family house into a block of 8 flats.

Queens Walk has been seen as one of the most handsome suburban streets in the area with a number of different individual style houses that nonetheless blend into a  pleasing whole. Like many such streets there have been unsympathetic refurbishments and extensions which Brent Council has allowed and of course front gardens given over to car parks.

However, for many the latest application is seen as a step too far and possible opening the possibility, by establishment of precedent, to more such applications.  Number 44 Queens Walk has been empty for some time and has clearly deteriorated and was purchased at a fairly knock-down (sorry!) price for demolition and redevelopment.  The conversion from family house to 8 flats (2 three bedroomed, five 2 bedroomed and one 1 bedroom) to be sold at market prices will yield a considerable profit - tempting to other developers.

I see little reason to disagree with what one of the objectors had to say about the application: 

Queens Walk is typical of the leafy suburban character of many parts of Brent. The properties in Queens Walk are all two-storey detached or semi-detached houses, set well back from the road and of individual yet complimentary appearance. The proposed four storey development at number 44 would be significantly taller than any other property in the road and the design makes no attempt to blend in with the architectural style of Queens Walk. 

One of the reasons that previous applications have been denied is that the design, layout and appearance are out of character. The developer has come back with a design that is even taller than the previous submission and makes even less attempt to reflect the suburban architecture of the area. How can this be acceptable? 

The Brent Local Plan that is being consulted on at the moment promotes a vision of "respecting the predominantly suburban low rise character of the area" The current Core strategy states even more strongly that one of the aims is "to protect and enhance the suburban character of Brent and to protect it from inappropriate development." 

Queens Walk has a distinctive suburban character. The building is totally out of character with the rest of Queens Walk and is in fact an ugly building. Whatever is put on this plot will be there for a considerable length of time. Surely, we should be improving the environment with buildings that enhance the surrounding area, not buildings that will spoil it?

New service provider contract for Brent's most vulnerable not subject to Scrutiny

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the travails of Brent Advocacy Concerns which is going to have to close at the end of November due to the charity being unable to meet the new high rent demanded for its small premises in Willesden. The charity has no paid workers but is still helping people with disabilities. Just this week it is providing advocacy for a parent of two autistic children as well as a range of other age groups.

Now it looks as if other local charities may also be facing closure, this time due to an unscrutinised decision by Brent Council.

The Council is requesting exemption from Scrutiny of a decision to award the 'Gateway to Support Services' contract to Age UK, Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon. This would five different services, not all of which are known to be an area of expertise for the organisation:

• Care Act Advocacy
• Mental Health Act Advocacy
• Mental Capacity Act Advocacy
• Carers Services
• Social Isolation Prevention Services

These are services for some of the most vulnerable Brent residents and it is surely detrimental to their interests that the decision and contract have not been subject to rigorous scrutiny. 

The reason for the failure to add the procurement to the Council's Forward Plan is attributed to 'officer oversight.'

The decision will mean that a number of Brent organisations that were not successful in the procurement process will lose what was previously funding from the Council and if, like Brent Advocacy Concerns, are unable to find alternative funding, will have to close.

Any Scrutiny would need to look at what that would mean for residents currently receiving services from those organisation and consider whether a large contract, embracing five areas, would have the risk of losing some specialist skills and expertise of value to the community.

Large, multiple area contracts, aimed at saving the Council money, are not always as responsive as small organisations. The Veolia contract covering street cleaning, waste collection, recycling, parks maintenance and more has not been an unmitigated success!

Extract from the Exemption Notice to Cllr Ketan Sheth, chair of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

To award the Gateway to Support Services contract to Age UK Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon. Gateway includes five different services; Care Act Advocacy, Mental Health Act Advocacy, Mental Capacity Act Advocacy, Carers Services and Social Isolation Prevention Services.  Why it was not possible to provide the required notice (i.e. why the decision or exemption was not anticipated)  The Gateway procurement originally took place in March / April 2019. At that time it was decided not to proceed and award a contract. When the procurement was started again in July 2019, it was not added to the council’s Forward Plan. This was due to officer oversight. Once this was realised the decision was added to the Forward Plan. This was done on 16th September. The earliest the decision could be implemented if we followed the Forward Plan timetable would be 24th October. The Gateway contract is due to go-live on 2nd December.  The Gateway procurement was completed in mid-August, but award of the contract delayed because the due diligence process took longer than planned. The procurement of the service has been reviewed by Internal Audit following a complaint received by the council. This has resulted in a shorter than planned implementation and hand over period. An exemption is sought so that the implementation period is not reduced further.  § Why it is impractical to defer the decision to a later date to allow the appropriate notice to be provided.  This contract provides a number of advocacy services to vulnerable people in Brent as well as support for carers. These services are currently delivered via multiple contracts which will end on 1st December 2019. The nature of the services and the complexity of ensuring a smooth handover between a number of organisations means that it is important to maximise the period of time available for implementation prior to the current contracts expiring.  TUPE will apply to staff involved in delivering services currently. In order to make sure staff transfers are managed properly, the more time available to the organisations involved to arrange this the better. There are also implications for the organisations who have not been successful in this procurement. For some, the council has been their main funder for many years. These organisations will need time to either secure additional funding from other sources, review their operations to manage without council funding, or close their business. Again, having the time to properly manage this would be to their benefit.