Industry supplier takes swipe at new Housing Minister

A rent guarantor service has taken a swipe at new housing minister Chris Pincher and his recent predecessors who have not had time “to fully understand, consult [and] implement changes” to specific issues in the private rental sector.

A statement from Housing Hand says: “In theory, the new Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, who replaced Esther McVey during the February 2020 Cabinet reshuffle, has it in his purview to tackle the difficulties faced by middle-aged and older renters. 

“However, not everyone has faith that this will be a priority. The fact that there have been 19 Housing Ministers in the last 21 years means that none of those appointed have had the time to fully understand, consult, implement changes and then monitor their effects fully. 

“It means that Pincher, whose tenure will no doubt be as short-lived as those of his 18 predecessors, will have little chance to improve the current situation.”

The company is complaint that government figures suggest people in their mid-30s to mid-40s are three times more likely to be renting than those in the same age group were 20 years ago. 

Of these middle-aged renters, a third were renting privately in 2017, up from just one in 10 in 1997. 

"We're seeing the age of the average renter change as it becomes harder to get onto the housing ladder. There's been a marked change in the number of those renting later into life over the past two decades. What does this mean for those renters as they get older? At the same time, the number of young people who own their own home is dropping, so the number of older renters will continue to swell” believes Housing Hand director Jeremy Robinson.

The company claims that the government may have little interest in shifting people from privately rented accommodation, as a substantial chunk of their rent will go to the government indirectly via tax paid by landlords.