Anti-homeless spikes, along with other defensive architecture, have been around for a while now, and we shouldn't stand for them anymore. They not only have a practical impact on homeless people's lives, disallowing them from sitting or sleeping in certain sheltered locations, but they also help to propagate the feeling of division in our communities, creating an 'us and them' mentality. This means there is less interaction, less communication and therefore ultimately less understanding of why people end up sleeping rough, and what we can do to help. Getting rid of these spikes is a small gesture, but a huge step in acceptance and care, which will help to break down barriers, allowing us to engage more fully with the poverty and need which lies on our very doorsteps.

Ex military like all other homeless are in many cases without family or friends. However because of the training and environments they have been exposed to they will seldom ask for help or try shelters as they see this as weak. Although I'm sure the government are aware of the problem they are clearly not doing enough about it, instead they just rely on charities to do this for them. Its not enough please help me let the government know we care about this.

Too many tenants are subjected to revenge evictions because of landlords not wanting to keep houses to a good standard. Tenants are forced to pay high fees to secure a new home because of this. People have the right to check out their landlord before signing a tenancy agreement to see if their landlord has been compliant in tenant requests.

When planning permission was agreed in 2006, the levels of affordable and social housing on the vast Kings Cross Central site in Camden and Islington were not high enough. The agreed numbers of social-rented and other “affordable” homes in the plan only added up to 40%, a great disappointment to local communities who had fought for at least the 50% target set by Camden’s own Plan and by the Mayor’s London Plan. Now the developers are forcing the councils to accept an even lower amount - just 33% - claiming they can't afford to subsidise housing associations to buy the homes after government grants for social housing were reduced. But as recently as autumn 2014, Argent’s Robert Evans introduced a report by the Centre for London saying proudly: “Argent makes places for people. … Our current largest project is the redevelopment of King’s Cross, where we are delivering 2,000 new homes; 40% of the residential is classed as affordable in tenure.…" We are calling on Argent to stick to their original promises and top up the subsidies for the missing social housing themselves, so that our communities get the homes they were promised. Kings Cross is surrounded by some of the most overcrowded families in London, and Camden Council has more than 25,000 households on its housing waiting list. Other community facilities including a nursing home have also been removed from the legal agreement governing the site, and the savings made, along with extra profits from the recently increased overall amount of housing, could easily pay for the homes we need. We can't afford to let big developers back out of their agreements and so we are asking Argent and their Kings Cross Central Partnership to keep to their word.

Rents in Scotland are out of control. Scottish private tenants – those who rent from a landlord or letting agent - have the worst protections against eviction in Europe. Tenants are being forced into poverty, while house prices and a lack of social housing means there’s no alternative. Rent controls are the norm in most of Europe and were used in the UK until the 1980s. Landlords claim that rent controls would drive up prices and cause housing shortages, but this isn't the case in countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands. Moreover, some tenants are evicted because the landlord doesn't want to do the repairs they've asked for, while others worry that a bigoted landlord may evict them because of their beliefs or sexuality. We want the Scottish Government to: 1. Bring rents under control: Introduce rent controls that ensure rents are set at affordable levels, and that increases don't force tenants into poverty. Rents should be determined by the quality, size, location and facilities of the home. 2. Protect tenants from eviction: Get rid of the 'no-fault' ground for eviction, so that tenants cannot be evicted unjustly. Ensure that all grounds for eviction are 'discretionary', so that a tenants circumstances are taken into consideration.

In the first place, it advantages folk who are paying far less rent than those who have to rent in the private sector. They should not then be able to buy the houses at a cut price, while reducing the stock of affordable housing. It isn't as if we have an oversupply of such housing and it really isn't fair! People in affordable housing should use their advantage to save a deposit and buy on the open market, like everyone else has to do which would free up their housing association house for those who need it. We need more affordable housing not less. We have families in bed and breakfasts.

The number of people living in social housing in this country is in decline. As waiting lists continue to grow, more and more people are being forced into private rented housing instead. This is leaving thousands of families and vulnerable households without a suitable home. There are more than 1.8 million households waiting for a social home – an increase of 81% since 1997. Two thirds of households on the waiting list have been waiting for more than a year. Nearly 41,000 households with dependent children were living in temporary accommodation at the end of December 2012. (Information from Shelter - England) A secure, affordable home is essential to all aspects of well being - economic, social, health (both physical and psychological) and especially for those who are vulnerable because of age, disabilities or other challenges. A wealthy country like the UK can benefit from building social and affordable homes and move away from focusing on home ownership for the few and profit for private landlords.

If lifetime occupancy is not granted and Beryl's home as it has been for the past 20 years is removed or destroyed, Beryl will be forced to find alternative accommodation. At the age of 71 it is unacceptable for any Council to put a tax paying pensioner through such stress and suffering.

An estate agent in Bristol called CJ Hole has been sending out letters to its landlord clients asking "Are you getting enough rent?" and "How do you get more rent?" The letter they are sending to landlords explains that "with rents increasing every week in Bristol, it is highly likely your property is due a rent increase.” It goes on to say that “the demand from tenants is far exceeding the number of available properties and we have never seen such a buoyant rental market." It doesn't once mention the rights of tenants. The letter shows how some estate agents and landlords are seeking to cynically profit from the housing crisis in Bristol at a time when inflation has declined to 0.3% and deflation is predicted. I think there is no justification for increasing rents at a time when prices are actually going down. In addition, real average earnings have fallen by 8% since 2008. Such predatory rental practices are an attack on low income people and threaten the most basic of rights – the security of a home to live in. Bristol's housing supply has been described by an official report as "in crisis." In 2013 just 60 affordable homes were built across Bristol Please sign this petition if you want CJ Hole to stop sending these letters to its landlord clients and if you want your next MP to support rent controls, giving more rights to tenants and building more affordable homes. If you have experienced a rent rise you believe is unjustified please post the details below. I.e. how much was it, was it in response to improvements made by the landlord, and any other points you think are relevant. If you have seen similar letters from other estate agents, please contact me. We will compile a list of all responses and use these as the basis for a later action/petition. Read the full letter below: https://s.bsd.net/38degrees/main/page/-/11096902_10153147467450900_147746140_n.jpg

Everyone needs a decent secure affordable home in which to flourish. We therefore call on Brighton and Hove Parliamentary candidates to campaign for the following changes, and to vote for them if elected: • Bring back fair rents - a “Living rent” (achieved by rent controls) • Protect private tenants with long secure tenancies • Institute registration of all private landlords to ensure minimum standards of fire safety, energy efficiency and a decent home standard for private housing • Abolish the Right to buy and lift borrowing ceilings and restrictions so councils can again build social rented housing • Link rents policy to affordability not the market • End discrimination against tenants on benefits

This must affect a large number of tenants in the UK and they have no way of resolving their issues, other than using very expensive commercial Lawyers

Paying extortionate rent in a time of a cost of living crisis is totally unacceptable.