Meeting discusses issue
The Manx Labour Party has announced it will stand against any increase in local housing rents.
At a meeting this week, members agreed they didn’t want to see those in public sector properties pay more, amidst stagnant wage growth and increasing costs.
Government has started the process of rent setting for year 2019/20, by writing to local authorities, inviting their input into the process.
The Department of Infrastructure is asking commissioners to give their views on what an ‘appropriate’ change would be.
Often, increases are made in line with inflation; the July Cabinet Office report showed the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) stood at 1.6%, with the Retail Prices Index at 4.7%.
Local authority rents have increased by 17% since 2014, whilst the latest government Earnings Survey shows full-time earnings fell by 0.1% when adjusted for inflation.
If the government chooses to implement an inflationary increase, the Manx Labour Party wants to see the lower CPI measure used.
MLP leader and MLC David Cretney says the party had to take a stand:
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