'People will turn to moneylenders, crime or prostitution': Residents' outrage at rent rise at tower block

Rent rises at Pendleton tower blocks in Salford will force people to turn to crime or money lenders, one resident has said. This comes after Salford City Council’s cabinet approved the plans to increase their rent by 4.1 per cent despite strong objection by tenants who are already facing hardship.

The tower blocks’ social housing tenants have suffered freezing conditions since flammable cladding came off their blocks. All nine apartment blocks finally had their flammable cladding removed by the end of 2020 in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in London and the wait goes on for the cladding to be replaced.

The housing association has offered financial help for heating bills, but back in February some said their energy costs were up to 10 times higher.

Read more:'We have been stitched up': Angry residents living next to city's 'noisiest school' lash out

One resident, Graeme Langton, who was outraged at the decision, said: “This decision was fixed before we came here today. They say they have the rest of Salford to think about but they don’t have to live in these conditions like us.

“The cost of bills is so high for everyone. People will have to turn to moneylenders, crime, or maybe prostitution.”

Council bosses explained that the cost increase of the contract they have has gone up by 8.3 per cent for them and rent rises are something happening across the country. Chief executive of the council Tom Stannard confirmed to the cabinet that if they did not take action now they would be looking at a 15 per cent increase next year and a £5.2 million deficit in the council budget.

Councillor Robin Garrido, leader of the Conservative opposition, was in attendance at the meeting to represent the residents of the Pendleton