RENTS TO RISE BY 25% OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

- Wendy slams council rent rise as steepest sustained rises for over 20 years –

• A 25% rent rise over next 5 years as a result of decisions by Renfrewshire Council on Thursday to fund SHQS.
• Rents will increase from £57.67 to £71.85 by April 2015.
• This year a 4% rise took place despite negative inflation and all the following areas are being cut this year. Funding in the following capital programmes is being cut: kitchen and bathroom replacement programme, rewiring, roofs replacement and asbestos removal.
• The SNP boast of a housing package for Renfrewshire tenants but they do not admit that over 95% of this package is being paid by local tenants and council tax payers. Less than 5% of this package is being paid by the Scottish Government (£6 million).
• Not a penny of the extra £100 million brought forward by the SNP government to be spent on housing for last year and this year has gone to Renfrewshire.   

New figures released today by Wendy Alexander MSP show that rent for council houses in Renfrewshire will rise by 25% over the next 5 years. Tenants who now pay £58 a week will be paying £72 by 2015.

Wendy commented:

“These rises in rent are simply disgraceful. Council tenants will be clobbered with a 25% increase over the next the next five years. Families currently paying £58 can expect to pay £72 in future. The SNP/Liberal led administration has already raised rent by 4% in April even when inflation is currently negative.”

Wendy said:

“What is worse, tenants facing rent hikes this year will also see cuts in investment programmes. This year cuts are being made to the kitchen and bathroom replacement programme, asbestos removal, roof replacement and even electrical rewiring of homes.”

“The SNP led council boast of a new financial package. They should instead hang their heads in shame that over 95% of this package, £143 million is coming straight out of the pockets of local tenants and council tax payers. The SNP Government has provided no money until 2011/12 when they could be out of office and the £1.5 million per year will all go on paying debt on already demolished houses. Worse still not a single penny of the extra £100 million brought forward this year and last year by the SNP government in Edinburgh for housing is going to Renfrewshire.”

“Families already under pressure will be hit badly. These new rent increases mean tough times ahead for tenants in Renfrewshire. I urge all tenants to write to the councillors who voted for these plans to complain.”