A major new report by the University of Plymouth and local Citizens Advice services has shone a spotlight on the damaging effects of the government's three-year freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates for local private sector renters.
The report, Sometimes I Sit on the Sofa and Cry, tells the stories of local people struggling to keep up with soaring rents and eviction notices.
It also contains suggestions to help ease the crisis, including an increase in LHA, an emergency cap on rents and provision of more affordable homes.
The research (which focused on the South Hams, Plymouth and SE Cornwall) found that average rents in the area have been outstripping the level of LHA support since 2015 but the gap has now grown to 12%.
The increase in people facing eviction has also led to big increases in bills for temporary accommodation for local authorities.
In Cornwall, the figure has risen from £9.5 million in 2020/21 to £18.4million in 2022/23 while for South Hams District Council, the figure has risen from £115k to £476k in the same period.
The report is the result of a collaboration between local Citizens Advice charities in the South Hams, Plymouth and Cornwall and the Plymouth Business School. It was funded following a successful bid to the University's Get Involved Awards 2023 programme.
Dr Nigel Jackson, Associate Professor in the Plymouth Business School, work on the report with colleagues Dr Mike Sheaff and Dr Carl Evans.
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