Chichester rental prices: District council outlines support

The Chichester district is one of several areas in Britain which has no rental properties which are affordable to those receiving housing benefits, according to new research from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Analysis of tens of thousands of rental properties across Great Britain shows 98 per cent of all those advertised over one month were beyond the means of people in receipt of Universal Credit or housing benefit. In the Chichester district, out of 75 properties listed, none were affordable for those on housing benefit.

A spokesperson for Chichester District Council said: “The council is aware of how expensive it can be to rent privately at the moment, and this is something that is affecting people across the county. We are doing everything we can to support people in our area at this challenging time.

“As highlighted within our Supporting You campaign, we offer help with both finances and help with housing. If you are renting privately there are a number of schemes to support you if you are struggling to pay for housing costs. If you already receive the housing payment through Universal Credit or housing benefit, and are still unable to meet the cost of your rent, you may be eligible for a top up payment. You can find out more about this under discretionary payments at: www.chichester.gov.uk/benefitforms

“There are also other ways you can rent a house. The council doesn’t own or manage social or affordable housing. Instead, it works with housing associations to provide accommodation for people who need it. This is managed through a scheme called Homemove, which allows approved applicants to express interest in properties that are advertised on the Homemove website every fortnight. Those with the highest priority will get first refusal on a home. To do this you must be on the housing register: www.chichester.gov.uk/applyhousingregister

“We would encourage anyone who is finding things challenging at the moment to visit our ‘Supporting You’ web pages at www.chichester.gov.uk/supportingyou where we have provided lots of questions and answers on these important issues.”