Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness, and is a huge problem in the UK. In 2019, 4,266 individuals were recorded as rough sleeping, following the street counts. This was an increase of 165% compared with 2010 figures. As the street counts are only conducted during one night in November, many individuals are miss-counted. Therefore, the true extent of rough sleeping is unknown. The individuals who are miss-counted, are 'the hidden homeless'. Sleeping on the streets is no way to live, and it shouldn’t be happening in 2020. For example, it has been found by the NHS, that sleeping rough has detrimental effects on both mental, and physical health, which is also proving costly to the health services. In order to reduce the strain on the health services, rough sleepers in the UK need to be housed in some form of accommodation, that is fit for living in. Doing so could help re-introduce these vulnerable individuals into society, which could have significant economic benefits within the UK. Individuals rough sleeping are human too, and deserve to be treated in the same respect as the rest of society. Rough sleeping is an issue which is repeatedly swept under the carpet, and is not going away. We need to act fast to deliver homes to individuals rough sleeping, and in turn eliminate rough sleeping in the UK.

People have lost jobs and live in flats managed by companies who charge annual service charge over £2,000. When people become unemployed and cannot pay, they are taken to court and could lose their home. This is unacceptable and the government need to provide financial help to pay these charges by way of grants. The local councils only help with discretionary housing payments for people who rent. I own my property and cannot get help to pay my service charges even though I'm now unemployed. Home owners such as myself need help to pay their service charge and they need it now.

New home owners are being fleeced following purchase of their house, quite often without being in full knowledge what they are signing themselves up to. The management companies are played into position by the residential developer with no documented or regulated tender process. The management company then has the right to demand substantial sums of money for a service charge that is definitely expensive and in most examples without basis. The home owners can even lose their homes were they not to pay. Homeowners deserve the right to be in charge of their own common areas and to manage them properly, without being locked into unrestricted costs and further benefits continuing to the original residential developer.

This is important to the people of Birmingham as many who live in inner city areas have seen drastic changes to their environments over the years. Some will argue that gentrification has improved the economy and asthetics of areas, however, local residents, many who have grown up in these areas and are on low incomes, are unable to buy or rent property in the area as they have higher prices than they can afford. Therefore, residents are forced out of the area to areas where it is cheaper to live.

Giving this unprecedented time, we as students have not been giving much support with regards to our housing as many other types of tenants have been. The only advice we have been given is that despite the majority of us not returning to Swansea for the foreseeable future but only to pick up the small remainder of stuff, we are still expected to pay full rent. Whilst we can accept that we are in a legally binding contract, this Covid-19 pandemic is unusual and unprecedented. And we feel we should be given some leniency towards rent, whilst letting agencies and landlords believe that we get a student loan that covers our rent, for the majority of students that student loan has to be supplemented by other income in order to pay for rent, which in normal circumstances would be totally fair and understandable, but these are not normal times. We as students, have seen across the country landlords and letting agencies offer students who do not move back to their houses, the chance to pay half rent, which we believe is fair. We understand that the landlord’s may have a mortgage to pay and as a result are not expecting for a ‘get out of jail’ card to not pay rent as a whole, but instead we are asking for those who do not intend to return to Swansea given the current global pandemic that affects all of us the ability to pay half rent.

This is upsetting non-smokers as the smoke from the garden raises into their flats, especially in summer when the windows are most of the time open due to the warm/hot weather

Families across the residents of the glasshouse will not be able to pay for a room that isn’t being used especially when they are out of work because of governments advice or they have been directly effected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is only morally right to waiver the last sum.

Along with smoke detectors, they are to prevent unnecessary death and possible destruction in any household that catches fire. However, unlike smoke, which at least you can smell and see, carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer as it is harder to be humanly detected and kills on average 30 people a year with unexplained deaths also linked to the deadly gas.

London and quadrant have put the service charges up for social tenants to £20pw. this will impact those on low incomes or JSA as the service charge element is paid directly by the tenant. If you get the maximum JSA rate of £78pw you have to pay £20 service charge per week. That creates poverty for all affected by this and is designed to make tenants with secure tenancies move so the property can be put on the market for open rent attracting 80% increase in rent charged. I live in a small 6 unit property and they are trying to impose this charge without checking the services they give. Presently we have dumped rubbish since November 2019, no entry phone or communal fire alarms. We barely get cleaning services and the dumped furniture blocks the cleaners cupboard so they cannot get in, so no cleaning. Currently we get alleged cleaning, gardening,and one bin. Please signed the petition to end this greed amongst housing associations. Since their privatisation in 2017 under Savid Javid Housing Associations are increasingly behaving like private companies, whilst straddling the lines to receive public funding but operating privately. This has to be challenged or London will turn into a elite place to live, whilst those in need are carted off to the outskirts of London or further. The government says it has an housing initiative to build more properties, however the properties build are for part rent part buy and are apartments so this attracts large service charges. We as Londoners most stand up to the government thinking of future generations and what these changes mean, asking the government to look again at the rules for social housing service charge. This is one of the ways housing associations are making money to build privately and not look after their social tenants or build for social rent.

Increasing rents are starting to price people out the market. It is not right that people have to pay hundreds more a month when a mortgage or council property would be cheaper. The gap between housing benefit and rents is widening which causes issues for people on low wages. Time to be fair to the working people who just need a roof over their head.

The charges are "OUT OF CONTROL" these companies are doing what they like, bring a blight to people's lives and the communities in which they have chosen to live.

Many people have no choice but to rent. Their landlords don't allow pets & this is deeply unfair.