Private rents in Milton Keynes unaffordable to NHS nurses

Analysis shows that in Milton Keynes in January the average private rent for a one-bed home was £927, while the average monthly salary for an NHS nurse with up to two years of experience was £2,497.

This suggests that a newly qualified nurse living in the area would need to spend an average of 37 per cent of their monthly salary on rent.

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

Across London and the South East, the worst affected regions, 89 out of 96 local authorities are deemed unaffordable to new NHS nurses.

Shelter’s chief executive Polly Neate said a lack of social housing threatened the stability of key workers such as NHS staff.

"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," Neate said.

"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."

Neate called on the Government to invest in building 90,000 social homes each year for the next decade.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said in response: "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 into the Affordable Homes Programme this year to help deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation."

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