University of Southampton researcher looks at the impact of cuts to housing benefit in the private rental sector on LGBT+ people.
Dr Iliana Ortega-Alcázar, Research Fellow in Geography and Environment at the University of Southampton is focussing on the Shared Accommodation Rate, a policy that affects single people between 18 to 35.
Since 2012 single people under 35 can only claim housing benefit at the rate of a room in a shared house as opposed to the rate of a self-contained property.
The project is seeking to understand the effects this policy change has had on ‘protected groups’ as defined under the 2010 Equalities Act (women, ethnic minorities, LGBT+ people, and people with disabilities).
The researchers are presently conducting in-depth interviews to assess the impact this policy has had on their daily lives and their ability to access safe and secure accommodation.
For further information about the research, click here: