YMCA responds to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond MP’s pledge in today’s Autumn Statement to abolish upfront letting agent fees .
Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England, the national council of YMCAs in England and Wales, said: “YMCA supports today’s Government pledge to abolish upfront letting agent fees for tenants, however, believes it is just the first step in trying to tackle the issues of affordability and security of the private rented sector. The lethal concoction of overpriced rents, extortionate deposits and rip-off fees have created an environment today in which it is extremely difficult for young people to find a roof over their heads that is both safe and secure.
“At YMCA, we support more than 10,000 young people every night with accommodation and support, giving them somewhere safe to stay while they get their lives back on track. However, due to the sheer cost of moving into the private rented sector, the majority of our young people are unable to move on from our services when they are ready.
“Many of these young people will be in minimum wage jobs, on apprenticeships or in education. Without the support of mum or dad, it is no surprise that more than three quarters say that not being able to save was likely to prevent them finding somewhere to move on to. This also has a knock on effect for those homeless young people who want to access our services as our own research has shown that nine in 10 YMCAs across England have a waiting list or have had to turn people away*.”
YMCA England is the national council of YMCAs across England and Wales. With just more than 10,000 beds, YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of supported accommodation to homeless young people in England and Wales.
*Read more about what young people have told us about moving on from supported accommodation into the private rented sector in our Delayed Until Further Notice research.