Landlord & Buy-to-Let Magazine Issue 64, March 2016 | Page 4

For latest show news visit www.landlordshow.info industry news news round Got a news story worth telling? email: press.release@propertynet.media ‘Homelessness trap’ warning as landlords say 'too risky' Homeless people are finding it harder and harder to secure a place to live as the vast majority of landlords now consider it too risky to rent to them, according to Crisis, the national homelessness charity. With growing numbers stuck in this ‘homelessness trap’, Crisis has launched a major new campaign – ‘Home: No Less Will Do’ – calling for action to help homeless people secure a home to rent. Backed by leading landlord groups, including the NLA and RLA, the campaign calls on the Government to extend the kind of support now offered to first-time buyers to homeless people looking to rent. Drawing on a survey of more than 800 private landlords across England, new research by the charity shows how landlords are increasingly reluctant to rent to homeless people and those supported by benefits. It shows how more than eight in ten are now unwilling to rent to homeless people because of concerns which included rent arrears and the need for more intensive tenancy management. The majority reported that recent welfare reforms had made them more reluctant to rent to homeless people and those supported by benefits. The report warns that, as a result, homeless people are finding it increasingly difficult to secure a place to rent, with many struggling to af