“Destitution and homelessness set to increase unless Government acts” – George leads Westminster debate
West Cornwall & Isles of Scilly MP Andrew George challenged Government Ministers over the growing poverty gap for private renters in a Westminster debate this afternoon.
He pointed to a search today which found 1,700 holiday lets advertised on Airbnb alone across his constituency (and thousands more holiday lets advertised through other agents). Meanwhile there was not a single rental property available within the government’s Local Housing Allowance rates on Rightmove (21st October 2026), and just 58 private rented homes, most of which were substantially above the government’s supported minimum rent level.
Local Housing Allowance rates have failed to keep pace with rental costs since LHA was frozen two years ago. Many local households are struggling to bridge the gap between the support they receive and the rent they are expected to pay. He quoted two recent examples from his own casework where it’s clear the families would not have enough to afford food, are being driven to dependency on foodbanks and risk falling behind with rent and therefore eviction and worse.
During the debate, he called on ministers to review the current system prior to next week’s Budget and to ensure that housing support better reflects the reality of housing costs in areas such as West Cornwall. He argued that it would be better to give multi-million tax incentives to private landlords to offer security, affordable rents and decent homes standards than to (as present) spend billions offering tax loopholes to property owners who instead utilise their second homes for holiday letting rather than to let to local families.
DWP Minister, Rt Hon Sir Stephen Timms MP, responded to Mr George.
Andrew George MP said:
“Government policy is simply not working. It’s driving the poorest into debt, foodbanks, homelessness, and destitution. Rather than handing out billions in tax-subsidies to those who switch their spare homes from renting to locals to holiday letting, they should offer tax incentives to those property owners who provide decent, secure and affordable homes to local people.”
The full debate can be viewed here:
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/0eaa273b-8c09-4c40-9c89-190cc0330629?in=16:00:53