Housing group hits OAPs with inflation-busting rise in rent

Published on Tuesday 10 March 2009 08:41

PENSIONERS today told how they fear they will struggle to make ends meet after a city housing association raised its rent by an inflation-busting 5.5 per cent.

Viewpoint Housing Association has 1400 tenants, the majority in Edinburgh, with most being elderly people living in sheltered housing and residential homes.

It sent a questionnaire to residents, asking what they thought of the rent increase, and 75 per cent of those who responded were against it.

Nigel Griffiths MP is to tackle Viewpoint officials face-to-face next month after receiving numerous complaints.

He said: "This rent rise has come as a severe shock to many residents and Viewpoint should have realised that before they sent out the letters.

"I've received complaints of the quality of Viewpoint's service falling at the same time as rents are rising above inflation and it's time that Viewpoint listened and acted on their fears."

Sarah Bruce, 82, who stays in sheltered housing in Kilravock House, Oswald Road, said: "I was shocked, totally shocked, particularly when I saw it in black and white. I thought, that's 61 a month.

"One of the reasons I had decided to make the move here was because I was trying to lower my monthly outgoings.

"I will manage, but not to the extent I thought I was going to. It is a worry when everything's going up in price."

A resident of Northwood House sheltered accommodation in Lauder Road, who did not want to be named, said: "I was horrified by the increase. My pensions haven't gone up at the same level the rent has and they've put up the gas and electricity. At the same time, our services have not grown.

"When I came here first, there were two wardens on duty living on the premises who were here all day and all night and at the weekends. Now they've taken one of them and the other one only works from 8.30am until 3.30pm. We have a cord we can pull, but older people don't need cords, they need a human face."

Acting housing services manager for the housing association, Catherine Louch, said it was a non-profit-making organisation which works with tenants to improve fuel efficiency in their homes and bought energy in bulk to get them a better deal.

She added: "This year our rent increase is 5.5 per cent, which will enable us to continue to provide and improve service delivery to our 1400 tenants.

"This increase is in line with other landlords in the area. Our service charges recover the costs of services which we provide to our tenants.

"We are not alone in facing the increases in gas and electricity prices. Thus the heating charge will increase substantially."