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1240/5(2034)
QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSING COMMITTEE ON TUESDAY 20th JANUARY 2004, BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
Question 1
The President recently announced a number of evictions carried out by the Housing Committee over recent months. Will the President inform members of–
( a ) the total number of evictions that are currently being pursued?
( b ) the number of families evicted in recent months?
( c ) the number of evictions for reasons of anti-social behaviour on the part of tenants? and, ( d ) the number of evictions for rent arrears?
Answer
(a) In the six months ending 31st December 2003, the Committee authorised the Department to take action through the Court, if necessary, to evict a total of 30 tenants. 25 of these cases primarily involved rent arrears but for some anti-social behaviour was also a factor considered by the Committee. One case involved purely anti-social behaviour and the remaining 4 were tenants refusing to transfer to suitable alternative accommodation.
O ut of the 30 cases, 11 are still being pursued, 4 have moved to the private sector, 4 transferred to alternative
Committee accommodation, 5 have paid rent arrears in full and 6 have made arrangements for repayments of arrears which has resulted in the eviction proceedings being halted.
(b, c, and d)
I n the last 6 months only 1 tenant has been evicted by the Viscount as a result of a Court Order. This tenant
was evicted for anti-social behaviour and there have been no evictions by the Court for rent arrears in this period.
Question 2
Will the President inform members –
- how many tenants have been affected by the changeto the income disregard allowance for invalidity and disability benefits contained in P.74/2003?and,
- how manyofthese tenants saw rises in their rent payable of – ( i) g r eater than ten per cent?
( ii ) g r eater than 25 per cent?
Answer
- 729 Committee tenants and 221 private sector tenants have been affectedby the changes to theincome disregard allowance for Invalidity and Disability benefitscontainedin P.74/2003.
- As a result ofthe changes to the disregard allowancefor Invalidity and Disability benefits as well as the overall reduction in the generosity ofthesubsidyschemesand, in some cases, non-dependentsurcharges,136 tenants sawrisesin their rent payable of between 10% and 25% and 162 tenants saw rises greater than 25%
with effect from 1st January 2004 , broken down as follows- C o mmittee tenants
L e ss than 10% increase 4 9 0 B e tween 10% and 25% 111
O v er 25% 1 2 8
T o tal 7 2 9 P r ivate Sector
L e ss than 10% increase 1 6 2 B e tween 10% and 25% 25
O v er 25% 3 4
T o tal 2 2 1