Limited supply of rental homes in city
New research carried out by Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau has revealed that there is a limited supply of suitable housing for students and other private renters in Exeter.
The findings are published today in a new report from Citizens Advice called Dispatches from the front lines of the housing crisis. Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau features in the report highlighting the issues faced in the city in relation to its growing student population.
The report also examines the impact of the development of large student blocks on the rental market in Exeter.
Nationally Citizens Advice helps three people every minute with a housing issue. Last year Exeter Citizens Advice helped with 1015 housing problems, an increase of 16% on the previous year . The charity is calling for a housing debate which looks beyond getting people onto the property ladder, involving everyone from local councils to builders, MPs and landlords.
Steve Barriball, Chief Executive of Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau, said: ‘In Exeter we have seen the city and the university grow. We were interested in the impact of this growth on streets around the university and how large numbers of students renting properties affected families looking to rent in the same areas.
‘We found a need for the management of this growth and we would recommend further consideration of how to restore the residential balance in certain areas in a manner which encourages social mixing, rather than segregation, as is the case with the purpose-built student housing.’
He added: ‘The debate about housing in England needs to move beyond people trying to buy their own home. From dodgy landlords to high house prices, rip-off agency fees and planning restrictions; these all need to be considered as part of the bigger housing picture.’
Exeter is one of eight local Citizens Advice across England and Wales which contributed to Dispatches from the front lines of the housing crisis. The report explores different housing problems experienced by both renters and homeowners and how they vary according to unique local factors.
Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of national Citizens Advice said: ‘Exeter has raised an important issue as one of the many facets of the housing debate. Across the country too many people are living in homes that don't meet their needs - from private renters in a damp property or homeowners who can't afford to move. It is really important there is a wide debate about the housing challenges facing the nation.’
Other key recommendations for Exeter from the report include the need to:
• increase mobility and offer student accommodation options more widely across the city by improving transport links, introducing planning policies to dis-incentivise property developers and incentivise students to live further away from the university.
• Give consideration to the use of a specialised lettings agency that could manage the types of tenants taking on properties in certain streets to regain a balance within the community.
• Develop an alternative model of landlord accreditation.
• Look at extra refuse collections, or different models of collection in high density student areas.
