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

More than 1,000 people have signed the petition, which will be tabled at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday (July 20).

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.

But 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 presented the petition at the town hall in the spring, 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 four per cent of its 8,100 stock.

Another 171 are currently being built.

The petition called on the council to ‘borrow the money to build council houses at rents comparable to existing stock and use housing cooperatives to reduce the cost’.

The final say on whether or not to meet its demands will be taken by the cabinet later this year.