Beyond The Ballot is The Huffington Post UK's alternative take on the General Election, taking on the issues too awkward for Westminster. It focuses on the unanswered questions around internet freedom, mental health and housing.
Ahead of the General Election 2015, HuffPost UK is focusing on the 11 million people who are now trapped in private renting, with no hope of buying a home.
Some face soaring rents, unstable tenancies, poor quality housing and a financially bleak future, without the dependable security of owning a property. The lack of council housing is forcing many people who would have been housed by the state into private renting, where they put more strain on a market that is growing exponentially.
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- There Are No Housing Lifelines For People Who Fall On Hard Times
- Britain's Housing Crisis Is A Mess: Here's How We Sort It Out
- For the First Time in a Generation, Housing Is at a Crisis Point
- How London's Overcrowded Housing Is Making Children Fail Exams
- Why Renting Policies Fuel The Fire Between Landlords And Tenants
Rent caps proposed by Labour have been welcomed by some, but others have slammed the idea, saying it would push up the price of renting and deter investors from the sector. Shelter's Martha Mackenzie argues that Labour's proposals are not rent caps at all, but rather rent controls, but by packaging them as 'caps' the party has created controversy where private renters deserve a meaningful debate.
"There are 11 million of us," Mackenzie blogs for HuffPost UK, "and we're not going anywhere soon."
The problems cannot simply be solved by one policy, or by sweeping pre-election promises to restore"the dream of homeownership". These 20 facts confirm that for life to improve for private renters, a serious, long-term political overhaul needs to be considered.
As part of The Huffington Post UK's Beyond The Ballot series we want to know what issues you think aren't getting enough attention in the election campaign. Tweet using the hashtag #BeyondTheBallot to tell us in 140 characters and we'll feature the best contributions