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| Benefit cuts demonstrators on hunger strike |
Yet another story of people being made homeless due to the coalitions housing benefit caps.
http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2012/jul/exclusive-benefits-cut-demonstrators-set-hunger-strike-protest-outside-town-hall
Housing benefit caps were introduced nationally in January 2012. They set a limit for the amount of money people can recieve from the government to help them pay their rent, restricting the maximum payment to between £250 and £400 a week depending on the number of bedrooms. Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Housing for the Guardian newspaper has analysed the impact of caps to the local housing allowance on homes across the UK.It found 720,000 homes will become unaffordable to those on low incomes in England, 60,000 in Scotland, and 30,000 in Wales. London and the south east will be hit hardest, where a quarter of a million homes will become unaffordable.
Those who are struggling to pay their rent will inevitably find themselves and their families served with eviction notices. More and more landlords are refusing to let properties to those recieving benefit while average rents in the private housing sector continue to rise. These factors make finding a new home extremely difficult and thus homelessness is increasingly becoming a reality for many cash strapped families.
The Eviction Resistance Network strongly condemn evictions of those who are struggling to pay rent in times of austerity. We urge communities to network, be open about financial struggles and injustices and, most importantly, get out on the streets and support eachother. See our useful contacts page to find more information about local support groups.