By Julie Waters
BANGOR pensioners fear they are being ‘plunged into poverty’ after repeated private landlord rent rises have left their housing future uncertain.
The local residents, who live in the Skipperstone area, have spoken of ‘struggling’ to survive as they face increased rent bills, as well as rising living costs including food and utility bills.
Just two years after the ‘shock’ notification that their rents were to be almost doubled in 2023, their bills have been further increased by £50, bringing the cost of a one bedroom property to £625 each month.
North Down MP Alex Easton has thrown his weight behind the pensioners’ plight saying vulnerable residents should ‘not be put in a position where they fear falling into poverty simply to keep a roof over their head’.
He said North Down was facing a ‘wider housing crisis’ as waiting lists for Housing Executive homes ‘are growing, affordable options in the private rental sector are shrinking and too many feel they are trapped with nowhere to go’.
The Independent Unionist welcomed North Down Community Network’s Housing Hub event being held during Homelessness Awareness Week next Tuesday. The one stop shop will bring together a wide range of housing organisations offering advice.
However Mr Easton said: “Community organisations cannot and should not be expected to shoulder this burden alone. We need action from Government, meaningful investment in social housing and proper regulation to protect tenants from unreasonable rent hikes.”
According to Northern Ireland Housing Executive statistics, in March this year, a total of 2,498 people were on the housing waiting list in the borough, with 1,145 presenting as homeless over the year. Of these, 852 met the legal right to be housed and just over 460 homes were allocated.
A Skipperstone pensioner shared his concerns about being trapped in the private rental sector, given the long waiting lists for social housing and the limited affordable rentals available. He asked to remain anonymous for fear of ‘being put out on the streets’ by his landlord saying that he ‘would have nowhere else to go’.
Outlining the recent rent hikes imposed, the man said: “When I moved in 13 years ago the rent was £241 a month and then in 2023 it went up to £575 and I was told it would go up £50 every year. I am now sitting at £625 for this one bedroom house.
“I was promised that work would be done, a new bathroom and a kitchen, but there is mould on the kitchen ceiling and walls, it is unreal. But nothing was ever done.
“What I am paying in rent, it is just not worth it. Without a doubt I am being pushed into poverty. I don’t know what I am going to do. I am living on a state pension and it costs half [of his pension] to live here.”
He said that a number of his neighbours had been forced to leave as they could no longer afford the rent: “Three people went out of here last week, they moved out because they couldn’t afford it.”
The pensioner said: “If the rent goes up again, if I am charged £700 I can’t afford it. It is unreal. But the attitude is, if you can’t afford it, get out because there is always someone looking in.”
He recalled how much he used to enjoy living in the area saying: “When I moved in 13 years ago, people would have loved to live here, it was amazing. That all changed in 2023.”
The elderly man said he had reached out to various organisations for support but to no avail: “I contacted many associations and they said there is nothing we can do for you, it is owned by a private landlord and he can do what he wants. You are powerless, you can’t do anything about it.”
At the time of the first rent rise, the man had sought help from the Housing Executive: “I was told there were 49,000 people on the waiting list [this is a NI figure] and it could be 10 years before I get somewhere.”
He said of his current situation: “At times it would break your heart because of the safety and the assurance you had, everything felt so comfortable, then the carpet is pulled out from underneath you and you are left in dire straits.”
