Milton Keynes City Council is making it more affordable for families living in temporary accommodation to move into a private rented home.
Local need for council housing is far outstripping its availability, and the city council is currently paying for interim accommodation for more than 1,000 households who are eligible for its help. Many of these families have tried to secure private rented homes but found it unaffordable.
To help more households into settled homes, the city council has launched a new offer on World Homelessness Day (10 October) where it will consider paying the difference between the rent a landlord is reasonably expecting and what a prospective tenant can afford.
As well as securing more families settled accommodation, the city council has calculated that topping up rents will be cheaper than arranging short term accommodation, which means the scheme will ultimately save money.
Milton Keynes City Council already offers landlords cash incentives of up to £6,680 for offering long term rental agreements. The city council already guarantees rent for the term of a tenancy. Thanks to this and other initiatives, in the last year the city council has managed to prevent homelessness for a number of families.
Landlords who would like to learn more about what’s on offer should visit the city council’s website.
“Everyone has the right to a decent, safe and secure home. We know that private rents are unaffordable for many people and this new initiative aims to bridge that gap. Landlords who want the assurance that a market rent will be guaranteed for the life of a tenancy should get in touch with us if they are able to help.”
- Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Ed Hume
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