The motion, proposed by Green Councillor Becca Thackray and backed by over 40 Green and Labour councillors, also commits the council to publish an annual ‘Lambeth Living Rent’ for the private rented sector.
The average wage in London is £26-30,000 per annum whilst average rents are half that. Greens say this is pricing people out of homeownership and pushing people into poverty and debt.
Green Councillor Pete Elliott (Gipsy Hill) said:
“I hope that this motion is the start of something really positive for thousands of Lambeth’s residents who are not feeling secure in their own home. With this Lambeth Living Rent initiative, along with many other areas of concern around housing in Lambeth, it is definitely time for a separate sub-committee in Lambeth to focus on, and scrutinise housing.”
Councillor Becca Thackray (Herne Hill) added:
“Since 2010 the average rent has risen to three times more than the average income. The hardest hit are young renters, women and people from BAME and low income backgrounds.
“Lambeth must put pressure on central government to hand over the power to control sky-high rents. Consensus across political parties can bring rapid change. A cross-party campaign to ban letting fees was successful in April 2017. This too can succeed.”
Councillor Becca Thackray
Notes:
[1] https://moderngov.lambeth.gov.uk/documents/s114413/Motions%20-%20Original.pdf