News / Bristol
‘You’re punishing the wrong people’
Tenants have voiced fears they could be left homeless by a “short sighted” move to end guardianship schemes on Bristol City Council’s empty properties.
Cabinet members have defended the decision to cease arrangements, under which private companies secure vacant buildings by offering them to people on a low-cost, short term basis, arguing that permanent solutions to the housing crisis are needed.
Speaking at a meeting on Monday, Paul Smith, cabinet member for housing, explained that from the outset, the scheme had seemed like the ideal cost effective solution to protect properties that would otherwise be empty – but the council soon learned there was “no such thing as a free lunch.”
is needed now More than ever
Trouble arose when it tried to take back a former care home in Broomhill occupied by guardian tenants under a private company, Camelot, sparking protests and a legal case that ruled the occupants should be subject to the same rights as normal renters.
Smith said the council has lost at least £157,000 per year in potential earnings and additional costs during the 13 months it has been trying to seize back the building that is earmarked for redevelopment.
While few disputed that an investigation into Camelot’s practises was necessary, the council’s decision to end all guardianship schemes was slammed as a “short sighted” one that “smacks of despair” and punishes the wrong people.
Property guardians turned out in force to express their anger and concern over the decision to end a scheme they say gives a sense of community and, for many, is the only way of affording a roof over their heads.
Up to 150 people stand to lose their homes once all agreements have been severed, but Smith stressed that it is only properties the council is ready to redevelop that will be taken back straight away, other guardianship arrangements will continue indefinitely.
Speaking on behalf of 25 property guardians residing at St Ursula’s School, Helen Sloan urged cabinet members to reconsider the proposals.
She said: “We are concerned about the impact this decision could have; not only the potential for many of us to be left homeless, with no other suitable and affordable alternatives to replace the scheme, but in addition, the wider effect this decision may bring for the properties themselves, the local community and the wider housing crisis issue.”
In a statement to the city council, Holly Porter accused councillors of sending the wrong message by taking this line of action in the wake of the legal challenge.
“Is there really no way to resolve the issues without losing that vital source of housing for people who can’t afford to rent privately in Bristol?” she asked, adding: “You’re punishing the wrong people.”
The council was criticised for not seeking an alternative solution and Lib Dem Gary Hopkins argued the proposal does not address longer term issues, such as increasing pressure on scarce housing resources.
Smith said that current arrangements with charities such as St Mungo’s, under which some council-owned buildings are used to house homeless people, will remain unchanged.
He added that many of the 17 properties currently occupied by guardian tenants are earmarked for use as social care accommodation and affordable housing for people across the city who need it most and argued the process of redeveloping sites cannot be delayed.
Mayor Marvin Rees said the decision enables the council to work on ensuring everybody in Bristol has a home.
Under the cabinet’s recommendations, no new property guardian contracts will be entered into and buildings with a legacy of issues will be taken back for selling, redevelopment or demolition.
Read more: ‘Dangerous minority’ of landlords preying on Bristol’s most vulnerable people
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