The Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities has announced that they are to provide assistance for councils that are cracking down on rogue landlords who are exploiting the supported housing system.
The £20 million worth of funding will help councils to increase inspection of the standards off accommodation, as well as providing further scrutiny of Housing Benefit claims to make sure that they are reasonable. Local enforcement of accommodation quality and support for residents, including through supervision, advice or help with life skills, will also be improved.
This support is as a result of successful pilots that involved councils in Birmingham, Blackburn, Darwen, Blackpool and Hull. These pilots helped the councils to carry out over 1,000 inspections of supported housing properties, with funding of over £5 million. The same councils were also awarded a further £6 million of funding through the Supported Housing Programme earlier this year.
Michael Gove, Housing Secretary, said:
“Time’s up for rogue landlords who take money from the taxpayer while exploiting vulnerable people.
“We are stepping in to help councils crack down on this appalling activity and I will be working closely with Bob Blackman MP on his Private Members’ Bill to deliver tough new laws to end this practice once and for all.”
The announcement of this support comes before Bob Blackman’s Private Members Bill is read for the second time on the 18th November.
