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100			_9563 _aClair, Amy
245			_aThe effect of local housing allowance reductions on overcrowding in the private rented sector in England
260			_bInternational Journal of Housing Policy, _c29 August 2021.
500			_aKEYWORDS: Housing benefit; local housing allowance; overcrowding; bedroom standard; difference-in-difference; England
520			_aEnsuring housing affordability while controlling government expenditure is a concern in many countries. In the UK support for private renters is delivered via an income-related housing benefit calculated using the Local Housing Allowance. As part of a programme to reduce government spending the support provided by the Local Housing Allowance was significantly reduced in 2011, and ongoing changes to its uprating have further reduced its value. These changes have raised concerns about the suitability of homes people receiving the allowance can afford. Using a natural experiment approach by applying matching and difference-in-difference methods to housing stock data from the English Housing Survey, this research finds a statistically significant 5% increase in overcrowding for housing benefit recipients following the changes to the Local Housing Allowance, equivalent to approximately 75,000 additional households living in overcrowded conditions. Longer-term results show that overcrowding continued to increase as changes to the uprating system further reduced the value of housing benefit. The decision to reduce the Local Housing Allowance and sever its relationship with actual rents has therefore reduced the ability of recipients to access suitable housing which will have had important implications for health and well-being, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
524			_aTo cite this article: Amy Clair (2021): The effect of local housing allowance reductions on overcrowding in the private rented sector in England, International Journal of Housing Policy, DOI: 10.1080/19491247.2021.1964253
650		0	_aPrivate Rental _zInternational _9501
856			_uhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19491247.2021.1964253 _yAccess article on the publishers website
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