Is your MP aware of the issue of Furniture Poverty? Do they know what can be done about it? Please copy-and-paste the text below, or download our template letter to write to your MP to ask them to help us to End Furniture Poverty.
You can find your MP’s contact details here
Dear [Insert MP],
I am writing to you to highlight the issue of furniture poverty and the number of people living without essential furniture, appliances and furnishings like flooring and window coverings. There are over 6m people in the UK living in furniture poverty, many of whom live in our area.
Living without essential items can have a devastating impact on people’s physical and mental health, and their social and financial wellbeing, which not only affects their lives, but also places increased demand onto the wider public purse, such as the NHS, social care and the provision of emergency and temporary accommodation.
I believe that the social housing sector could offer much-needed support for their tenants through the provision of furnished tenancies. Currently only 2% of social homes are let as furnished, compared to 29% in the private rental sector. Given that 8% of social housing tenants are living without three or more essential items, at least 10% of social housing stock should be offered as furnished.
A furnished tenancy is a full package of furniture provided to new tenants as a condition of their tenancy. Existing tenants should be offered Furniture Rental Agreements with as many or few of the essential items that they need. The cost of the furniture is covered through the service charge element of both Universal Credit and legacy benefits, allowing the landlord to recoup their costs and cover administration, repairs and replacements. Rental services allow tenants to return the items and reduce the service charge should their circumstances change.
Please could you write to the Minister of State for Housing, to raise this important issue and see what plans the Government has to support and encourage social landlords and housing associations to provide more furnished tenancies.
I would also ask that you reach out to our local social landlords to ask them to provide furnished tenancies, as a matter of urgency.
Your support on this important campaign would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to find out more about this campaign, please visit End Furniture Poverty’s website, www.EndFurniturePoverty.org. End Furniture Poverty are also happy for you to contact them to discuss this further by emailing info@endfurniturepoverty.org.
Yours sincerely,
