Quote: BiffasBoys "How many of you that are against the spare room subsidy being applied to social housing think it should be repealed in regard to private rented housing? Give reasons.'"
The case is slightly different with regard to private landlords but the overall ruling can still be penury - the private market that caters for benefits claimants (and its by no means the whole of the sector that do) is quicker to adapt to the requirements of its clients, so in a district that requires accommodation for couples, or students or single people you will within a short space of time find dwellings split to offer just that - or alternatively if 3 or more beds are required, no private landlord wants their property standing empty and they tend to be very savvy about what is currently letting well in their district.
Local Authorities have been stymied for decades and their inability to invest in their own housing stock means that they simply cannot adapt to trending housing requirements - back int he 70s when I was involved in construction we built lots of council properties (and I mean thousands) and the majority of those were "family" homes, two and a half or three bed properties - its those very properties that are causing the problems now as those families have either dispersed leaving the parents, or the new incoming tenants are singles or couples.
If the country needs full employment (and its generally been seen as a target to achieve) and that full employment is created on the alter of NMW and non-committal contracts, then housing benefit will be required and housing to match the claimants needs will be required - you can't screw those people twice.
