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A report said there has been a ‘rapid and uncontrolled growth’ of exempt accommodation in the city
Residents in areas of Birmingham
Prostitution, drug use, drug dealing, and rats are just some of the issues facing residents in areas of Birmingham with a high concentration of exempt accommodation, a report has revealed.
And the ‘rapid and uncontrolled growth’ of exempt accommodation in the city is seen by many residents as a ‘blight’ on local communities.
The report, commissioned by the council, is due to be discussed by the Co-ordinating Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week.
Harrowing picture
And it paints a harrowing picture of the exempt accommodation scene in Birmingham, detailing the concerns of over 80 individuals and organisations in areas with a high concentration of HMOs.
Papers show how the number of claims for exempt accommodation in the city has more than doubled in the past three years to over 20,00, far outpacing any other area in the country.
And this rise in the number of HMOs and other such accommodation has left many residents feeling ‘trapped’, with concerns over antisocial behaviour and crime.
Active citizens
“Many of the responses received came from active citizens, who were engaging in community or residents’ associations, organising litter picks or neighbourhood/street watch, responding to planning consultations and engaging with police and local councillors,” papers note.
“Others came from residents, prompted by concerns about their local areas. All were feeling helpless in the face of the blights caused by the concentration of badly managed properties.”
Huge, rapid and uncontrolled growth
“There was common agreement that there has been huge, rapid and uncontrolled growth in exempt accommodation in Birmingham.”
“Towards the end of last year (October 2020), Birmingham had approved 20,000 claims for Exempt Accommodation. This is an astonishing figure, and it is much higher than in other comparable towns and cities.”
“For example, Sandwell, immediately adjoining the city, only has around 500 current claims – this is equivalent to about 1,750 claims in Birmingham (on a pro-rata basis).”
Concentrated areas of the city
The report also details how most of the exempt accommodation in Birmingham is concentrated areas of the city, with nine wards home to nearly 40 per cent of accommodation (Gravelly Hill, Holyhead, Handsworth, Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath East, North Edgbaston, Soho and Jewellery Quarter, Aston, Stockland Green).
And several residents from these wards have written to the council voicing their concerns, with papers referencing ‘used tissues/baby wipes thrown out of windows littering the pavements’ which ‘the rats, cats and birds then scatter the rubbish throughout’.
Community safety issues
“Secondly, community safety issues also featured repeatedly, encompassing, fighting, begging, antisocial behaviour during the day and night, prostitution, drug use, drug dealing, alcohol abuse, harassment, intimidation, theft, damage to property including fire, swearing, abuse including racist abuse, and threatening behaviour.”The report is due to be discussed on Friday 24th September.
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