Leeds HMO Lobby

National HMO Lobby

National HMO
Lobby

Home
What is a HMO?
Local HMO Plans
Ten Point Plan

Lobby
Aims
Constitution
Members
Regions
History
Papers

Lobbying
National Developments
Sustainable Communities
Use Classes Order
HMO Licensing
Taxation of HMOs
Students & Community

Contact
National HMO Lobby
Links

Students & Community

The National HMO Lobby is concerned with all kinds of HMO when these gather in concentrations. There are three main markets for HMOs, benefit claimants, young professionals, and students. The student market is by far the most important of these*. The Lobby therefore takes a special interest in student HMOs and their impact on communities. Like most markets, the HMO market tends towards concentrations, and this is especially the case with student HMOs. Such concentrations have developed in many university towns. This and its impact have given rise to what has been termed 'studentification'. In response to this development, the Lobby's over-riding aim is to maintain balance in communities, in order to ensure their long-term sustainability. More particularly, the Lobby's concern is to defend (against market forces) the equal opportunity of residents to reside in their community.

The Lobby has been concerned, both to clarify the concept of studentification, and to campaign for its recognition and resolution. The Lobby has adopted a Discussion Document on Studentification, which defines the concept, and analyses its causes, course and consequences (this document is accompanied by a catalogue of the Symptoms of Studentification). These and other documents have been published in Balanced Communities & Studentification (see also, the accompanying news release). Universities have been keen to publicise the benefits to communities of higher education institutions (for instance, the Universities UK leaflet Universities: engaging with local communities, published to coincide with the conference in 2006) - they have been less keen on the local costs. For the same conference therefore, the Lobby has prepared a Discussion Document on Accounting for Sustainability, which considers the local costs of studentification. Discipline lies outside the Lobby's normal remit - but such is its members' concern, the Lobby has also produced a Discussion Document, Keeping the Peace.

The Lobby's campaigns on studentification have taken place on both general and specific fronts. In general terms, the Lobby has sought public recognition of the phenomenon, and this has been pursued especially through the media. Local and national agitation has received coverage in the national media since the pioneering article in the The Guardian in 2000. Since then, reports have appeared in 2002 (Observer, Times), in 2003 (Telegraph, a series in THES, Times again), in 2004 (Economist, Mail, Guardian, Independent, and also on television and radio), in 2005 (Guardian, radio), in 2006 (THES, Observer, television & radio) and in 2007 (Telegraph, Guardian, radio) [see National Developments for details]. Meanwhile, a numerous conferences have been convened on aspects of studentification - in 2003 in Ulster (national), in 2004 in Leeds (national, Unipol), in 2005 in Belfast (local), in 2006 in London (national, UUK), in Canterbury (local) and in Nottingham (national, Unipol), in 2007 in Nottingham (Councillors), London (NUS) and Norwich (all national) [see National Developments for details].

The Lobby's specific campaign for resolution of the issue arose from the general campaigning. Soon after he was appointed as Minister for Housing & Planning in 2003, Keith Hill acknowledged the problem of 'studentification'. On 12 February 2004, Alan Simpson MP (Nottingham S) and Nottingham City Council secured a meeting with the Minister, which was also attended by other MPs whose constituencies were affected by studentification, and by the National HMO Lobby. Following the meeting, the Minister and his colleague, the Minister for Higher Education, Alan Johnson, consulted, and in December, the ODPM and the DfES funded a research project commissioned by Universities UK and SCOP, in collaboration with the LGA. The project was led by Dr Darren Smith (University of Brighton), and a Steering Group was set up, representing these participants. The National HMO Lobby requested representation, but was refused. The project was reported in The Guardian in January 2005, when research began. Among other things, questionnaires were sent to universities and communities - seventeen members of the Lobby responded, including Leeds HMO Lobby. The Report, titled Studentification: a guide to opportunities, challenges and practice, was finally published in January 2006, and launched at the UUK conference The Engagement of Students and Higher Education Institutions with their Communities in London on 25 January 2006. The Lobby's riposte to this Report is the Ten Point Plan.

The government acknowledged the problem of studentification for the first time in print in the DCLG's Housing Research Summary 228 Dealing with 'Problem' Private Rented Housing (2006). The Parliamentary University Group held a meeting on Student Accommodation in the House of Lords on 15 November 2006. On 12 December 2006, Andy Reed MP asked a question in the Commons about sustainable communities in areas of high density student housing. In March 2007, the Lobby was pleased to contribute to NUS's Students and the Community Roundtable Think Tank (London, 1-2 March 2007): the outcome, the Report Students in the Community, was launched in London on 11 June 2007. Meanwhile, the matter was again raised in the Commons, in an Early Day Motion on 16 May, in a Ten Minute Rule Motion on 22 May, and in an Adjournment Debate on 5 June 2007.

On 25 October 2007, Engaging with the Community: Open Letter to Our Universities was presented by the Lobby to the President of Universities UK.

The government undertook to address studentification in autumn 2007. Simon Llewellyn, Head of Private Renting and Leasehold at Communities and Local Government, wrote "we believe that there is a range of non-planning steps which we can take to address the problems caused by 'studentification' and that, to make a real impact in this area, a coordinated programme of action, bringing together a number of policy levers, is needed. To achieve this it is important to engage the key stakeholders – principally local authorities, private landlords, the universities and students themselves. There appear to be a number of levers available to local authorities that could assist in addressing many of the issues faced in areas with high concentrations of HMOs, and it is not clear why they are not being used successfully in areas that are experiencing these problems. We therefore propose to establish a Taskforce with interested local authorities and universities to explore how these measures might be brought to bear. These measures include activities such as neighbourhood management schemes, landlord accreditation and additional licensing for HMOs. We will ask the Taskforce to present their recommendations to Government in spring 2008. We will be writing to potentially interested local authorities ... in due course to establish membership of this Taskforce." Alison Edwards (also DCLG) has added ""I agree that the community is a very important stakeholder and, as such, I agree that community groups should be represented by the National HMO Lobby on the Taskforce we are establishing. We are also looking into the feasibility of holding a conference early in the New Year to kick start the work of the Taskforce." In a written answer in the Commons on 15 January 2008, Planning Minister Iain Wright reiterated this commitment: "We propose to consult on possible amendments to the Use Classes Order in relation to HMOs later in the year."

On 23 January 2008, Housing & Planning Minister announced a Review of the private rented sector. The review will look how the increasing number of buy to let accommodation and student tenants has impacted on the private rented sector. A Policy Round Table on Student Housing is to be held on 4 March.

On 3 March 2008, John Denham, Secretary of State at DIUS, announced plans to develop new universities: the Lobby responded to the Minister.

On 9 April 2008, "a new review aimed at improving the management and conditions of people living in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) was launched by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint." The announcement made specific reference to 'student ghost towns.'

On 9 June 2008, NUS is holding a conference in Leeds on Students in the Community: Beyond the Campus (but they are not talking to any representatives of communities).

*Approximately 80% of HMOs around Leeds are occupied by students, according to property auctioneers Allsops ('Fall in price of student property predicted', Yorkshire Evening Post, 22 December 2005). See also Students in the Private Rented Sector.

National HMO Lobby
email: hmolobby@hotmail.com website: www.hmolobby.org.uk