‘Awful’ exempt accommodation costing taxpayers ‘a fortune’

Rough housing minister Eddie Hughes has been quizzed by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee today.

Committee chair Clive Betts complained that “awful” exempt accommodation was costing taxpayers “a fortune”, and that after 30 years as an MP he was surprised by how “absolutely appalled” he was by the “conditions that people are living under” in these accommodations.

Hughes also admitted that the housing of domestic abuse victims with ex-abusers in exempted accommodation, and ex drug addicts with current drug users may be a “significant” issue in 10-15 per cent of councils, but that it remained councils’ responsibility to manage referrals.