Private rents in Luton unaffordable to new NHS nurses – along with almost half of England

Research from housing justice charity Shelter, comparing private and social rents with key workers’ average incomes, found renting private housing is unaffordable in almost half (45 per cent) of England for newly qualified nurses.

The charity said a lack of affordable social homes forces people "into extortionate and unstable private renting, or into homelessness", and called on the Government for sustainable investment in social housing.

The analysis shows in Luton in January the average private rent for a one-bed home was £857, while the average monthly salary for an NHS nurse with up to two years of experience stood at £2,497.

It suggests a newly qualified nurse living in the area would need to spend an average of 34 per cent of their monthly salary on rent.

The Office for National Statistics deems an area 'affordable' if a private-renting household spends 30 per cent or less of their gross pay on rent.

London and the South East are the regions most affected across England, with 89 out of 96 local authorities deemed unaffordable to new NHS nurses.

The research also shows private rented one-bed homes are unaffordable in 43% of England for new teachers and in 69 per cent of the country for Band 2 NHS workers such as health care assistants.

Meanwhile, social rented homes are deemed affordable in the whole country for these NHS workers and teachers.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said key workers such as NHS staff and teachers are crucial to the country's economy.

But she warned the lack of social housing threatens these workers' stability, leaving hospitals, schools and other businesses struggling to find and retain staff.

She added: "For decades we've lost more social homes than we've built, while sinking money into temporary solutions and so-called "affordable homes" that aren't truly affordable for people on lower incomes.

"As a result, families are pushed into extortionate and unstable private renting, or into homelessness, driving them out of their local areas away from their jobs, schools and support networks.

"Social homes are vital for the economy and the only lasting solution to the housing emergency, but there's nowhere near enough of them."

She called on the Government to invest in building 90,000 social homes each year for a decade, as "ambitious investment would boost jobs, give people security and end homelessness for good."

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "We have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory with rent levels unaffordable for far too many, including public sector workers.

"Our Renters' Rights Bill will fundamentally reform the private rented sector by empowering tenants to tackle unreasonable rent hikes, banning unfair bidding wars, and stopping landlords from demanding large amounts of rent in advance.

"We will also build 1.5 million homes and have injected an extra £800 million for the Affordable Homes Programme this year to help deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation."