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.
A report by the London School of Economics (LSE), commissioned by Camden LBC to look at the impact of the Housing and Planning Bill on the employment of social tenants, found it would reduce the amount of affordable housing in the borough and other similar areas, forcing tenants to leave.
As many social housing tenants work in childcare and social care, the research said this could cause a recruitment crisis for these sectors.
Camden leader 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 hasn'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 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, added: ‘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.'
