Cost of living: 'Councils have nowhere to put people'

Sky News has exclusively seen figures illustrating the rapidly growing gap between benefits and rising rental costs.

The number of properties affordable to people on housing benefits has fallen by a third in the past five months, with only 8% of houses in the affordable housing range.

Adele Robinson speaks to a single, working mother who lives in "emergency accommodation" with her son.

#skynews #costofliving #affordablehousing

[lorascelsi]

What a wonderful mother. God Bless her. Moms should be first priority for housing. Hope she finds housing soon.

[justlooking]

She’s such a great mom! Stay strong, fellow mama. 😢❤️

[wesleywhite]

I wish prime ministers can go through what ordinary people go through. They really don't care about us.

[titteryenot]

Having a head of government worth £730 million, and whose swimming pools cost more to heat per year than the average salary, doesn’t bode well here.

[thewheatfields]

This could have been predicted years ago. Why didn't the governments limit the amount of property that the billionaire property owners could buy, and legislate a maximum affordable rent by private landlords. Pure greed.

[roserose-gtif]

All the money the councils pay private landlords is an absolute disgrace.
In my area a 3 bed council house is charged at approx £400 a month and yet they pay private landlords on average £1400 a month and that's the maximum they pay.
The actual average private rent charge in the area is £1600- £1800 pcm so a shortfall of around £200-£400.
Go figure!

[dipenkanani]

Feel for her working and travelling with the little one. Very sad situation that I hope she can get out of soon.

[montedaestrada]

In reality there is plenty of available space in London and other places to house people. There are empty office blocks, there are empty commercial buildings that could be converted but greedy owners are waiting for them to increase in value and Im sure there are other examples.

[TheGalifrey]

Thatcher's Legacy made worse by Austerity

[hannahlou]

They sold all the council houses and didn't replace them, that is why we are in this mess. Now gov is spending millions extra so people can rent privately with LHA instead of putting people in council flats which are cheaper long term but expensive to build initially.

[joannaskora]

My family, we are homeless as well for the same reason. We live in a travel lodge. My mother-in-law suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's. The system doesn't see her as a part of my household. So me my husband, son and mother-in-law are entitled to a 2 bedroom property but I can't find anything because my income is too small and too many of us for two bedrooms. We are working I have 2 jobs!

[XxTheAwokenOnexX]

UK is still suffering from Maggie Thatchers housing policies of selling off council homes, and never replacing that lost housing stock 😁👍

[vwmusicplaylist]

Rishi should rent out one of his spare mansions to people like this this.

[tims]

Over the last 20 years low pay has risen 11 percent whereas house prices have risen 280 percent over the same period, there's the problem. Never made any difference developer's where building tens of thousands of houses, they still remained unaffordable so where being mostly purchased by overseas buyers such as from Sunaks offshore type accounts. Until they tax those with large portfolios of housing and business premises it'll never change as that's where the quantitive easing money went, straight into the hands of those with offshore accounts who ended up buying lots of housing n land whilst constantly giving tax breaks to developers effectively handing themselves double bunny

[jamesgoddard]

If only they hadn't sold off all the council housing

[Change_O]

It's even more difficult for people now as property developers now integrate lounges with kitchens, as space is limited or for the open plan look.

Where as before in a one bedroom flat, if the seperate kitchen was large this could be the communal room and the lounge could be used as a second bedroom.

[bikokch]

The fact is many born here, live here for generations, paying tax yet not receiving any helps from the gov. And many from overseas manage to get money, housing, and food.

[CDN]

What a beautiful mom and son. God bless them.

[MrMiikeeeey]

Works full time and still needs help Jesus Christ

[sarahh]

I don't remember the last time I've seen council houses being built it's all private housing companies..that only give a small percentage for housing association needs even then they are really expensive! it's all greed from these companies