Ipswich Borough Councillors say social housing rent will remain affordable despite increases

Social housing in Ipswich is to remain affordable for struggling residents despite a rent increase, councillors have said.

Yesterday evening, members of Ipswich’s executive unanimously approved an increase in social housing and affordable homes’ rents and associated charges for the next financial year.

The council’s average rent is currently around 40 per cent of market rent levels, with the increase taking it to 47.7 per cent, equivalent to around £101.16 per week.

Cllr Alasdair Ross, who moved the proposal, said the council was committed to making sure social housing remained affordable to residents.

He added: “What we don’t want to see is people on the street, and that is increasing because they can’t afford the rent private landlords ask — our rents are still far cheaper.”

Also approved yesterday was the increase in garage and hardstanding rents, also by 7.7 per cent, and the capping of any increase in service and utility charges for sheltered housing to £2 per week.

These changes are expected to generate an additional net income of just over £3m in the next financial year, and over £6m in 2027/28.

Cllr Ross criticised the Government not providing updated guidance for the next financial year but maintained that the extra money would be used to invest in Ipswich’s housing provision.

He said: “We have a lot more measures coming in from the Government which will make our tenants’ lives better, but they’re not giving us any funding, they’re just telling us to find the money.

“We have to guess what the government is going to come up with and with an election coming up, you’re never really sure.

“We believe in social housing and one of our commitments is to build more but we can only do that with the money in our budget.”

Included in the council’s plans for the money is also the installation of solar panels, greater insulation, and helping those who fall into homelessness.