Sheffield City Council has confirmed a tax increase of 4.99% along with several other changes to commence from April 2024.
These changes include 7.7% increases in council rent, rent for temporary accommodation and garage plots and sites. The burglar alarm charge, sheltered housing service charge and furnished accommodation charge will also be raised by 6.7%.
A mum-of-two from Foxhill, who has been living in a rat-infested council home for the last two years, expressed frustration at the increase. She spoke to the Sheffield Wire on the condition of anonymity.
She said: “It is a joke getting charged more when the majority of council properties are in disrepair.”
“I would prefer not to be in a council property but unfortunately I have no choice.”
In January, Shelter England and HSBC produced a blog that revealed that “40% of people fear housing pressures will worsen in 2024”.
The report also found that families with children are more likely to have experienced a housing concern in the past year compared to adults without children.
Sharon Weatherstone, a local resident, expressed her disappointment, stating: “It’s disgusting, especially for older folk who can hardly live as it is.
“We could end up being homeless. That is what happening today. With children as well, it’s not fair on them.”
A research report published by Shelter documented the scale of homelessness in England in 2023.
It stated: “Homelessness in England is at a record high and is continuing to rise.”
One type of homelessness included in the report was ‘people who have been accepted as homeless and are now living in temporary accommodation arranged by their local council’. This coincides with the temporary accommodation rent increase of 7.7%.
An anonymous source expressed their concern for those struggling to make ends meet. They said: “I am sickened that the central government is strangling councils like this.”
“There are people just on the cusp, they’re not eligible for house benefit or council tax benefit and even a tiny percentage increase is not budgetable and something else will have to give.”
Local resident Sue said: “I feel bad for those people who are badly affected by the cost of living but somebody has to pay for the services, and that got to be us.”
