18th
Apr 2013
Nearly £800,000 has been granted to four London boroughs by Housing Minister Mark Prisk who has promised to “crack down” on criminal landlords trapping vulnerable tenants in “beds in sheds”. Vulnerable migrants, in some cases have no other option than to rent “beds in sheds”.
Frisk gave the funding boost to the four London boroughs to further support their ongoing efforts to tackle the problem head-on and to end this practice.
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The boroughs who are receiving the assistance in their efforts to stamp out “beds in sheds” are Ealing- £270,919 Hillingdon- £183,141, Newham- £227,572 and Redbridge- £108,368. A total of £790,000.
Mr Frisk attended an early morning raid that occurred last month in Ealing. The raid was carried out by housing officers from Ealing Council together with police and the UK Borders Agency and led to 17 arrests.
New rules set out by the Prime Minister in March will make sure that councils give priority to local people when allocating their social housing. The rules also require private landlords to make simple checks on new tenants to make sure they are entitled to be in this country.
Mark Prisk said:
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“I’ve seen for myself the squalid, unsafe and often illegal accommodation that vulnerable people are being forced to pay extortionate rates to live in. I’m determined that we up the pressure on those renting out beds in sheds and help their tenants out of these appalling living conditions.
“That’s why I’m backing the locally-led efforts in these 4 London boroughs with government cash to ensure this vital work is allowed to continue so we can end this practice and put these illegal landlords out of business.”
Mark Harper, Minister for Immigration said:
- “We are determined to crack down on immigration offenders and anyone found living or working here illegally is liable to being detained and removed. We will help those who wish to leave voluntarily but will enforce the removal of those who refuse.
“Operations like this show our determination to do whatever is necessary, working alongside local authorities and police, to enforce our laws against those who are in the UK illegally.”
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