Waltham Forrest Council bid to cushion residents from rent blow

Waltham Forest Council has launched a campaign to persuade the Government to lower rent increases this year.

The Council is facing the choice of raising rents by 5.8% and or finding £2.2million from another place, like the housing repairs budget.

The Council want tenants to take part in the ‘Don’t kick us in the crunch’ campaign to help persuade the Government to set rent increases at a lower level during the current recession.

Whilst the Council can choose to set its own rent, if it did it would have to take approximately £2.2million from elsewhere, for example the repairs budget.

Cllr Bob Sullivan said: “As a Council we are trying to keep Council Tax increases to a minimum to help out people in the credit crunch. These rent rises are unfair and penalise the people we are trying to help most. The Government has to take another look at this and come to its senses.”

The campaign will call on the Chancellor to lower the increase in the Government’s budget on the 22nd April.