Calls to bring back cheaper rents for council’s new housing tenants in Crawley

Local authorities have been allowed to build homes for affordable rent rather than social rent since 2012.

Crawley has been doing so since 2014, with the first such homes let in Douster Crescent, Bewbush.

There’s quite a difference between the two types of rent – affordable is up to 80 per cent of market rent, while social is 50 per cent.

The petitioners, who met outside the town hall on Wednesday (March 9) shared their concerns that people were finding rents in the town too much to bear.

A spokesman said: “When housing costs are considered relative to income, Crawley is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK.

“Crawley Borough Council’s decision to charge council tenants the so-called affordable rent has made things even worse – and that is before the effects of the pandemic are taken into consideration.

“The decision needs to be reversed.”

Only 324 of the town’s council homes are charged affordable rent – about 4 per cent of its 8,100 stock.

Another 171 are currently being built.

Ian Irvine, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “If it was an ideal world, perhaps we would consider charging everybody a social rent – but it isn’t an ideal world and we’ve had to struggle to try to provide the housing which we have provided.

“That’s by making compromises and doing the very best we can.

“Some of the money which we receive from affordable rent properties actually gets ploughed into providing more homes for Crawley people.”

Mr Irvine said he had received many emails from people wanting to be housed but not one complaining about having to pay affordable rent.

He added: “Housing is a difficult topic to wrestle with and I think that the [council] has performed miracles in providing the housing they have provided.”

The petition will be checked by council staff and, if it has 1,000 or more valid signatures, it will be debated at a meeting of the full council.

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