Council housing rents across West Northants set to rise 7.7 per cent as set out in draft budgets

People living in council houses across West Northamptonshire could see their rent go up by as much as 7.7 per cent next year.

The changes will come into effect from April 2024 and would see the average renter face an increase from £103.79 to £111.79 a week if the budget is approved.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is proposing the increase in line with government guidelines and says that the funds will be used for the maintenance of current properties and the procurement of new ones.

This would amount to almost £3.9m in extra funding from residential homes, which is the largest single budget within the housing revenue account (HRA).

Councillor Sally Beardsworth, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that she was “surprised” that rents were going up so much and raised her concerns at a WNC cabinet meeting on December 12.

“Don’t we realise as a council how many people are really suffering with food and heating and looking after children? On top of everything else, I’m sure people will be quite distressed.

“We should be helping people on the lower end of the spectrum that don’t earn beyond the basic wage and need help to get a home,” she added.

Cabinet member for finance, Councillor Malcolm Longley, told the meeting that 80 per cent of tenants in the council’s properties are covered by housing benefit so the increase will be partly covered. Tenants who feel they are under financial pressure can also apply to a hardship fund which acts as a safety net for those who can’t pay more.

Councillor Adam Brown, cabinet member for housing, said of the proposed rents: “If you don’t take the increase on the table then that translates to worse maintenance, more risk of us not being able to deal with issues such as damp and mould, more risk of us not being able to deal with the concerns of tenants, and then ultimately not building new properties to cope with the demand.

“All we can do is work closely with NPH (Northampton Partnership Homes) and the registered providers within West Northamptonshire and gauge from them how their tenants are coping with costs of living pressures and then build in protection to help tenants navigate the months ahead.”

Approximately £65m will be spent on managing and maintaining the council’s existing homes and £24m is proposed to be spent on new build programmes and major projects. Within the draft HRA, there are also plans to invest £54m of capital funds in social housing in 2024-25.

The proposals are now open to public feedback for six weeks until midnight on January 23. The final budget will be presented to the full council in February 2024.