The Housing Bill could cause a recruitment crisis in the care sector as many social housing tenants will be forced to move away from London, new research has concluded.
The London School of Economics was commissioned by Camden Council to look at the impact of the Housing and Planning Bill on the employment of social tenants.
It found the Bill will reduce the amount of affordable housing in boroughs like Camden, forcing tenants to leave certain areas of London. As many social housing tenants work in childcare and social care, the research said this could cause a recruitment crisis for these industries.
Leader of Camden Council Sarah Hayward said: 'The evidence shows that the central London boroughs have successful economies because they have a mix of low, middle and high income earners who live close to their workplaces. The bill puts this productive dynamic at huge risk and it's clear that the government haven't done any proper research - that's why we commissioned LSE.
'The Bill will force people into expensive private rented property or out of London completely, leaving employers struggling to access a workforce for lower and medium income roles. It's clear that the time has come for the government to look again at its policies and to completely rethink the Housing Bill before it's too late and our economy suffers as a result.'
Kath Scanlon, assistant professorial research fellow at LSE London, said: 'We found that social tenants are more likely to work in particular employment sectors, and these sectors could be dramatically affected by a loss of social housing. These include the care professions, childcare, and care for the elderly, for example.
'The need for such services in boroughs like Camden is growing and providers are already losing workers because of London's cost of housing.'
For more on this, visit The MJ (£).
