Crisis rules out registering new landlord as a registered provider

Crisis will not become a registered provider of social housing, the homelessness charity has confirmed days after announcing its plans to become a landlord for the first time.

Earlier this week, the charity’s chief executive Matt Downie revealed in an interview with The Guardian that it had been forced to take the move because of difficulties accessing social housing for its users.

It said it was working to acquire 100 homes in the next three years, increasing to at least 1,000 over the next decade, but it was initially unclear what kind of vehicle Crisis would be set up in order to operate these properties.

However, Crisis has now confirmed to Housing Today that it does not plan to set up as a registered provider and will instead operate the homes as a private landlord through a limited company that has already been set up.

The company will be supported by a targeted fundraising appeal that the charity is currently in the process of planning. 

It said it was working closely with people with experience of homelessness to develop strategy, policy and procedures for its plans.

“You can’t end homelessness without homes,” said Matt Downie in a statement. “Over the years our frontline services have been finding it harder and harder to find genuinely affordable, settled homes for the people we support, leaving them trapped in a cycle of homelessness.”

He said the reasons were “complex” and “years in the making”, citing cuts to welfare, social housing delivery and local authorities, alongside huge demand for social homes. 

This can mean “years on a waiting list” for the people Crisis supports, while rapidly rising rents leave people on low incomes locked out of the private rented sector. 

“This is exacerbated by the freeze on housing benefit which is driving up homelessness and making it harder for landlords to rent to people on low incomes, many of whom are struggling to cover significant shortfalls in rent,” he said. 

“Another big factor at play here is the increasingly desperate situations of some the people we support. Many of those we work with can’t even access temporary accommodation as demand is so great, leaving them forced to sleep rough. We cannot sit by as this continues to unfold.”