A growing number of people and institutions, from Shelter Scotland to the mayor of London, have called for consideration of a ‘living’ or ‘fair rent’ among other policy solutions to the housing crisis. Salford City Council wished to explore the feasibility of a living or fair rent for Salford tied to the living wage rather than actual income, thus commissioned this research to investigate the potential of a fair rent policy in Salford. To do so, the research undertook the following objectives:
To undertake consultations with key housing organisations in order to assess the feasibility and deliverability of a fair rent approach in Salford
To jointly evaluate with the local authority the findings and co-design future development of any such initiative in Salford
To evaluate the delivery of fair rents in Salford
The report found that for the present and near future, such a policy would not be a useful way to tackle the housing crisis. It provided an improved understanding of the social and private housing landscape and rent policies in Salford, along with additional recommendations to achieve council aims.
Team: Andrea Gibbons and Phillip Brown