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Morning Briefing: housing crisis hits women hardest
A report has found that the housing crisis hits women harder than men, and the London mayor steps up his call for rent controls
In the news
The Independent covers a report by Women’s Budget Group and Women’s Housing Forum, which finds that women need over 12 times their annual salaries to be able to buy a home in England.
Men on the other hand need just eight times their annual salaries. Rents, meanwhile, take 43% of women’s earnings and 28% of men’s median earnings.
One such woman is interviewed by the Manchester Evening News, which reports that the mum of four has “hit rock bottom”.
She tells the paper that she was forced to leave her home when her landlord sold it. She was unable to afford the rent anywhere else and is now in temporary accommodation that was “crawling with mice” when she and her children moved in.
In an attempt to deal with the exploitative private rented sector, London mayor Sadiq Khan is calling for the power to introduce rent controls, as Inside Housing reported in January.
As the mayor launches more detailed plans, the BBC carries an explainer on the different kinds of rent controls that are used around the world.
Also on the BBC is a short video on the two candidates to be the next prime minister, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt.
Political correspondent Nick Eardley looks at where they stand on policy areas, including housing, ahead of one of them taking over next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, local paper the Ham & High reports that Westminster City Council is defending itself over its plan to sell off social housing.
The Labour opposition, on the other hand, accuses the Conservative council of “a crass attitude to social housing”.
In Scotland the battle over asylum seekers in Glasgow continues, with Common Space reporting that over 30 university professionals have signed a letter opposing the “inhuman evictions” being carried out by outsourcer Serco.
On Wednesday Theresa May refused to intervene when asked about the issue in parliament, but New Gorbals Housing Association has promised to reverse any attempted lock changes.
Elsewhere, The Guardian carries a report on new government data, which shows a collapse in work being done to end fuel poverty and energy waste.
According to the paper, the number of energy efficiency upgrades being undertaken has fallen by almost 85% after the withdrawal of government subsidies for the work.
Finally, The Economist publishes a worrying article, warning that falling house prices could indicate the approach of a recession in the UK.
On social media
Next week we’ll have new PM /MHCLG Ministers. Given where we are in the economic cycle, now really is the time to dial-up counter-cyclical investment in #AffordableHousing, reduce long-run welfare costs, improve UK productivity and support the supply-chain t.co/JNuaLld6QY
— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10)Next week we’ll have new PM /MHCLG Ministers. Given where we are in the economic cycle, now really is the time to dial-up counter-cyclical investment in #AffordableHousing, reduce long-run welfare costs, improve UK productivity and support the supply-chain https://t.co/JNuaLld6QY
— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10) July 19, 2019
What’s on
- Tomorrow afternoon academic Stuart Hodkinson will host a workshop for residents on the government’s proposed reforms to building regulations after Grenfell
