Dudley Councillors clash over ‘cruel’ comments on rent increase
Council housing bosses were forced to defend themselves from accusations of using cruel language during a debate on rent increases.
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Hikes in rent for council tenants were on the agenda at a meeting of Dudley Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on January 20 where senior councillors and officers were quizzed on their plans for the coming financial year.
The authority is proposing a rise in rents of 2.7 percent which would add £2.61 per week to the average rent, making it £99.19.
Conservative Cllr Ian Bevan, cabinet member for housing, said: “Things are expensive, the rent increase, whilst it was tough for residents and tenants to take on board it doesn’t go that far.
“We will continue to squeeze the best value out of the rent tenants pay.”
Committee chairperson, Cllr Shaun Keasey, who wasted no time in making his feeling known.
The former Conservative councillor, who now sits as an independent, said: “The effect of pushing people into unaffordability in terms of housing – we have already talked about potentially a £7 uplift in people’s liabilities, if you add on the rent uplift you are talking about £10 per week.”
In response to a question on how many people will be supported if they cannot afford to pay their bills, Kathy Jones, Dudley’s director of housing, said: “It is a difficult one to answer, the alternative is also equally difficult, we have discussed how we need to maximise our rental income to be able to invest in our homes, we do recognise that does impact on individuals who are seeing rises.
“The point I would make, and it probably does sound quite flippant, is we are still about £400 per month cheaper than private rents.”
An irritated Cllr Keasey hit back, he said: “That didn’t answer my question, they are not putting themselves in this position, we are putting them in this position as a council.
“I also think some of the language we are using is pretty flippant and cruel, we are talking about families and saying we understand people will find it hard and some people will suffer.
“I suggest we go and live in their position and not live in the positions that we are in.”
Cllr Bevan said: “I am sorry about that, it is not our intention to be flippant, these are difficult times for people, we do acknowledge that.”
