SOME of the housing in Bradford is a “disgrace” – according to a councillor who raised concerns over the accommodation many in the District find themselves living in.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said while thousands of people in the city have four walls and a roof, they don’t have a quality place they could call their home.

Cllr Sunderland was discussing the issue of exempt accommodation – housing provided by an organisation where residents are also provided support or care.

Rules normally limiting the amount of rent covered by benefits do not apply for this type of supported accommodation.

Cllr Sunderland raised a motion at the last Bradford Council meeting of 2022 calling for greater oversight of this type of housing, and for the Council to do more to make sure the system is not exploited.

It was a rare motion that was voted through with cross party support.

At the meeting Councillors were told that at least 2,000 people in Bradford on housing benefit that are thought to be in exempt accommodation.

She said Bradford Council is likely to have lost £1.4 million pounds last year in Housing Benefit Subsidy, although later on in the meeting it was claimed this figure was closer to £1m.

Cllr Sunderland said that in Bradford there were examples of exempt accommodation working well. But she pointed out that some providers seem to be exploiting the system.

Consequences of poor quality flats 'will be with us for decades'

She told members of a recent visit she made to a constituent living in such accommodation – an office 20 metres from a dual carriageway that had been con-verted into a cramped bedsit.

The tenants were charged £1,000 a month for this accommodation.

Cllr Sunderland said: “Ideal Home magazine recently had an article saying the ideal home for the average Brit was a four bedroom detached home with two living rooms, two bedrooms, a garden, garage, utility room, office and a Tesco nearby.

“For thousands of people in Bradford this is not something they could ever dream of. Whilst they might have four walls and a roof, they don’t have a place they can call home.”

She said that some people were living in “shocking” conditions, and are offered little of the support they are supposed to receive in exempt accommodation.

The meeting heard that it was a “difficult” and complex issue, and other Councillors acknowledged that until they read Cllr Sunderland’s motion they had little knowledge of the exempt accommodation system.

Cllr Sunderland said: “It is an important part of the supported housing system – where it works it works well and residents have suitable accommodation and support.

“However, a lack of governance and regulation of providers can lead to exploitation of the system, and people are capitalising on a system that is paid for by the tax payers through housing benefits.

“Where it doesn’t work, people’s lives are made much worse. It can lead to the exploitation of vulnerable people.”

She said that nationally there had been concerns that criminal gangs were exploiting the system for money laundering, adding: “They are able to make more money through housing than dealing drugs.”

Much of the accommodation was converted buildings that had not gone through the planning system, meaning poor quality homes were only bought to the authorities attention after people had already moved in.

Cllr Sunderland concluded: “Some officers see families hanging their washing out of fourth floor stone balconies and think it is all part of Bradford’s charm and culture.

“It is not – it is a disgrace, and we need a more compassionate view on housing.”

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Planning, Transport and Regeneration, said: “Exempt housing is one of the most difficult areas of housing.”

He said with 2,000 exempt accommodation dwellings in Bradford, the housing standards team on the Council could currently only focus on the “most worrying” cases of poor housing.

He said much of this accommodation in Bradford was concentrated in the City ward, which includes the city centre and areas around the University of Bradford.

The motion was approved, meaning the Council will get regular updates on efforts to improve supported housing, push for greater collaboration between the Council and providers, and push Government for a national standard on exempt accommodation.