General Election Day Four: Visiting Harlow Gymnastics Club

A hard-working day campaigning all over Harlow (see the happy customer above), was capped by two important events during the evening. The first was a visit to Harlow Gymnastics Club at their new home in Sumners Leisure Centre. I was accompanied by Paralympian Ann Strike and Andrew Mitchell MP (Conservative Spokesman for International Development in the Shadow Cabinet). I had asked Andrew to see the Club and also meet with Ann, to talk about her overseas aid work in Africa.

The Club youngsters put on a gymtastic display that had musical accompaniment, superb somersaults and much more besides. Quite amazing.

After, I went to the leaving party of Patsy Dye, whom, after many years has left the Harlow Homeless Centre. She has done a remarkable job in looking after the homeless and has taught me much. So many people were there to wish her well - the Hare Street Pub was packed to the rafters.

Finally, it was then a meeting with some of the team - a good time to catch up. I am really lucky to have such strong colleagues. Alongside the hard work, there is always plenty of wit and banter. Those present were of course eating Cameron crisps!

Well done Harlow Homeless Centre

I attended a great event this evening: the Harlow Community Awards: sponsored and arranged by the Herald Newspaper. Readers were invited to send in nominations. I sent one in - to recommend Patsy Dye for an award, as Director of Streets 2 Homes (also known as the Harlow Homeless Centre).

It was good to see Patsy winning an award from the independent panel of judges and it is well deserved. For many years she has dedicated her life to help the homeless, and many have been helped through her wise counsel. I wasn't surprised that so many volunteers from Streets 2 Homes came along, to give Patsy a good round of applause.

Many other Harlow heroes won all sorts of other awards, and it is heartening to see what efforts are made by those - who would normally get very little recognition - to help those in need.

Government Housing benefit changes hurt the vulnerable

How can it be that Housing benefit system is failing Harlow's most vulnerable tenants?

With my involvement with Harlow Homeless Centre, (the picture shows a visit made by David Cameron to the HHC in 2006), some months ago, I was asked to meet with a Landlord (Andrew Hammill), and tenant who were concerned about the Government's plans to change Housing benefit rules. Both Mr Hammill and the tenant said it would have a detrimental effect. I subsequently lobbied Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps MP, who came to visit the HHC to discuss this very issue with Director Patsy Dye. I am glad to say, that the Conservative Housing team have listened - and acted.

The primary problem is that these changes are harming the most vulnerable tenants and reducing the availability of affordable accommodation.

Last year, Labour Ministers introduced a new ‘Local Housing Allowance’, with housing benefit being direct to the tenant rather than to the landlord. But vulnerable tenants often struggle to manage their finances and spend their rent money on other things. Homeless charity, Crisis, has warned that this can result in rent arrears and eventually homelessness.

Landlords who were previously happy to take on tenants on housing benefit have suffered from non-payment of rent. Many landlords now routinely refuse to let to Local Housing Allowance claimants. According to the National Landlords Assocation, half of all landlords are reluctant to lend to tenants on Local Housing Allowance.

7005 people in Harlow are on local housing waiting lists, and a sizeable proportion of them are on housing benefit. Housing waiting lists have risen by 294% per cent under this Labour Government – reflecting the shortage of affordable accommodation.

I am pleased that Conservatives have pledged to change Labour’s failed policy. Tenants will be able to choose whether to have their housing allowance paid direct to their landlord. This will increase the availability of quality low-cost housing.

The issue is that Landlords are put off from renting to those on benefit, slashing the availability of decent places to live. Some tenants struggle to manage their finances, using up their benefit money by rent pay day. They get into arrears and trouble as a result.

Tenants should have greater choice, and be free to specify that their housing benefit should go direct to the landlord. This will help those most in need.

I have further and more detailed information for your perusal below:

LOCAL HOUSING ALLOWANCE

Local Housing Allowance was introduced in April 2008 and is a new way of calculating housing benefit for tenants living in the private rented sector. The housing benefit is paid direct to tenants. See here.

A recent survey by the homelessness charity, Crisis said that 82 per cent of respondents had noticed tenants falling behind on their rent since the introduction of Local Housing Allowance. The same number said that the Allowance was leading to more tenancies being terminated. More than two-thirds reported landlords “stipulating conditions over and above those requested for working tenants” while 38 per cent said that fewer landlords will accept housing benefit recipients since the introduction the new system. They warn: “These findings raise some major concerns about the way in which LHA currently operates. It appears that LHA may be working against the Government’s fundamental aims for the scheme along with Government policy to prevent and reduce homelessness.”

Crisis, Local Housing Allowance: One Year On, April 2009.

Research conducted by the National Landlords Association has found that 52 per cent of landlords have decided they would not let, or be ‘less likely’ to let, to tenants on Local Housing Allowance. A further 43 per cent of landlords who have already tried the new system said they would now be leaving this part of the market because of increased uncertainty about rent payments.There are currently 1.8 million families on the social housing waiting list.

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com

Congratulations Harlow Homeless Centre

On Saturday, it was so good to be in the sunshine watching the Rotary Club Abseiling event. This is where a number of very brave people, abseil off the Water Tower in Church Langley, for charity, an event which happens every year.

The event at the Water Tower is organised with military like efficiency, as volunteer stewards ensure that the event runs smoothly. Many local charities and voluntary groups take part, including Harlow Stroke Association, St Clare's Hospice, and Streets 2 Homes (of which I am proud to be Patron). There is also a lovely marquee in which wives and partners of Rotary Club members, sell tea, coffee, delicious sandwiches and cakes.

I was pleased to be able to support Harlow Homeless Centre and Ron Hetem, once homeless, now a volunteer for Streets 2 Homes. Ron works incredibly hard for the Homeless Centre, and does all he can to raise funds, including organising an annual golf day. You can read his story HERE. Ron was going to abseil but had a bad knee, so his place was taken by Geoff.

I am told that the Rotary raises around £500,000 for local charities from the abseiling event which is quite astonishing, particularly in these times of the credit crunch. Those volunteers who abseil, are very courageous. I watched pensioners aged 84 and 94 abseil off the Tower. I got giddy just looking at the people at the top!

Looking forward to next year.

P.S. You can see the video of Geoff's abseil HERE

By Rob Halfon ~ Working hard for Harlow, Hastingwood, Nazeing, Roydon & Sheering. http//roberthalfon.blogspot.com