Written Question
Thursday 6th September 2018
Asked by:
Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question
to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to end discrimination against housing benefit claimants by private sector landlords.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government appreciates the problems that housing benefit claimants can sometimes face in finding accommodation in the private rented sector. We strongly encourage landlords and agents to consider all potential and existing tenants claiming housing benefit on an individual basis. We have published a new How to Let guide on 26 June to help landlords better understand their rights and responsibilities. At present, the English Housing Survey Headline Report 2016-17 (published February 2018) shows that 22 per cent of households privately renting are in receipt of housing benefit.
A number of MHCLG policies work to combat discrimination and unfair practices. These include the introduction, in April 2018, of banning orders and a database of rogue landlords and agents designed to remove the worst landlords and agents from the sector. The requirement, since 1 October 2014, for letting and managing agents in England to belong to a Government approved redress scheme, giving tenants access to free dispute resolution where problems, including those related to discrimination, occur in relation to their agent. In addition, we are committed to requiring all landlords to be members of a redress scheme to ensure that all tenants, not just those who use agents, have access to quick and easy dispute resolution when things go wrong. Our eight week consultation on strengthening redress in housing closed on 16 April. We are analysing responses with a view to publishing a Government response in the Autumn.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 18 Jun 2018
Oral Answers to Questions
"Why is the Secretary of State pressing ahead with changes in funding for homelessness hostels and other supported housing which charities in my constituency, such as the YMCA, have said could threaten their vital services?..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Written Question
Thursday 14th June 2018
Asked by:
Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question
to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to local authorities who have seen recent increases in the number of homes in multiple occupancy to help pay for local services.
Answered by Rishi Sunak
Over the five year period from 2015-16 to 2019-20 councils will have access to more than £200 billion of non-ring fenced revenue funding, and it is for local authorities to determine how to spend this and other sources of income on the services that they provide.
Local authorities already have powers through the planning system to control the proliferation of houses in multiple occupancy if they have concerns about the cumulative impact on their locality. From October we are extending mandatory licensing to protect more private tenants from poor housing conditions and overcrowding in houses of multiple occupation. Councils will be able to charge for the costs of administering this scheme.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 May 2018
Housing and Homes
"I wonder how many of us here have experienced living in a home that is not fit for purpose and its damaging impact on a person’s physical and mental health. How many of us here have had to struggle to scrape together agency fees, find a deposit to put down …..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Housing and Homes
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 15 May 2018
Housing and Homes
"Absolutely. My hon. Friend makes a very good point.
I am of the opinion that someone should be able to aspire to buy a property; that good-quality council housing should be available to those who require it; and that those who rent out properties have an obligation to look after …..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Housing and Homes
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 24 Apr 2018
Street Homelessness
"Will the hon. Gentleman give way?..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Street Homelessness
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 24 Apr 2018
Street Homelessness
"I will hold on...."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Street Homelessness
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 24 Apr 2018
Street Homelessness
"Sorry, I cannot hold on. I have been out with homeless people in Crewe and Nantwich, and I do not relate to what the hon. Gentleman is saying at all. Does he agree that an area that needs to be looked at more closely is the high rate of benefit …..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Street Homelessness
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 24 Apr 2018
Street Homelessness
"I go and help the homeless in my community; we have great volunteers who also help them all the time. Thank you, but we are interpreting the issue completely differently. It worries me that you are not recognising some of the real, ingrained problems. I do not think that anybody …..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Street Homelessness
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 24 Apr 2018
Street Homelessness
"Will the hon. Gentleman give way?..."Laura Smith - View Speech
View all Laura Smith (Lab - Crewe and Nantwich) contributions to the debate on: Street Homelessness