Young people choosing between food or paying rent and ending up getting into heavy arrears: that’s just one of the consequences of welfare cuts that have also seen an alarming surge in the number of young renters losing their homes.
Research by Riverside, one of England’s largest social landlords, shows that of 3,803 tenancies terminated by the association in 2014-15, a quarter were held by people aged between 16 and 30. That’s up from one in five of the 4,195 tenancies ended in 2012-13.
Cuts and curbs on social security have restricted young renters’ route out of arrears and many abandon their homes without seeking help, according to Riverside employee Peter Gallagher, who has switched from a role supporting older tenants to one supporting younger residents, as part of the association’s initiative to help young renters keep their homes and also reduce its own £13m annual bill for re-letting property.
The association ran a pilot scheme in Cumbria last year and is now recruiting four more officers, employed by its charitable arm, the Riverside Foundation, to focus on intensive intervention with younger tenants.
Gallagher says young people in particular fail to prioritise rent payments. “They can get into heavy arrears quite quickly,” he says. “Some are not eating very well because they can’t deal with money, or haven’t got it.”
Riverside is not the only association to rethink its approach to tenancy support. Other tactics include tougher financial checks before agreeing tenancies. “Some landlords have expressed concern that people don’t have the income to pay,” says John Wickenden, data analysis manager at consultancy HouseMark. He says he expects more associations, like Riverside, to establish in-house support as external help from charities and community groups reduces due to public funding cuts.
Riverside’s own estates are dotted with empty units, previously occupied by such organisations, points out Paul Booth, its community engagement manager, who says there used to be a lot of outreach for local residents from other support groups that simply now no longer exists.
Riverside’s intensive intervention officers aim to close the gap left by the loss of such outside support, Booth says. To give them time to offer intensive assistance, their caseloads are limited to 30 households, fewer than the hundreds managed by most housing officers.
Every tenancy that comes to an end costs money that could be spent on new homes. Before being re-let, homes must be repaired and their gas and electrics checked.
Riverside’s annual bill for relets runs at £13m. “If we could reduce that by 1% you would get a decent saving,” Booth says. “I’m not saying this project will definitely do that; it is part of the work.”
In the longer run, the intensification project may help the association pinpoint which tenants will struggle before reaching crisis point, Booth adds. “We should be able to increase tenants’ capacity to tackle whatever life throws at them.”
That includes tenants of all ages. One of Gallagher’s first cases was a 34-year-old tenant who began to self-harm after being the victim of severe anti-social behaviour. Gallagher helped the resident move into emergency accommodation and then find a permanent home. He also helped her furnish her new flat and navigate the benefits regime, and now meets her at her home every week. “This job is a lot about life coaching but doesn’t have a strict remit,” he says. “It’s a blank page.”
Sign up for your free Guardian Housing network newsletter with news and analysis sent direct to you every Friday. Follow us: @GuardianHousing
.png?w=600)
