100 Reading families to leave their homes as council shuts down housing company

Raven and Rowan Perry-Lee told ITV Meridian's Juliette Fletcher they're worried they'll become homeless.

Around a hundred families in Reading have been told they will have to leave their homes as the council plans to close down its housing company.

Reading Borough Council rented out the properties as part of a scheme set up in 2016.

However the authority said that financial factors, including the housing market and interest rates, means it will have to be scrapped.

Raven and Rowan Perry-Lee, who have four children, say their lives are being turned upside down after living in their home for six years.

The couple said: "It's earth shattering honestly - all these false promises that this is our home."

The couple are tenants of Homes for Reading which is an independent but council-owned housing company.

Changes to local authority lending rules, the housing market and interest rates has affected the viability of the company long-term.

After a period of consultation the council has decided to wind up the company and buy back the houses for their own housing stock.

The plan is for the houses to be let to key workers at affordable rents - key workers like teacher Raven and pre-school assistant Rowan.

But Raven and Rowan, who have to be out by next August, say they cannot afford private rentals and are worried they will find themselves homeless at the bottom of the housing list.

They said: "We can't plan for the future because we don't know if we'll be in the area. My eldest will be at secondary school next year. We are supposed to be looking at schools and we can't do that."

Reading Borough Council says it "fully recognises the impact the closure of Homes for Reading will have on the families who are still in these properties, and we are sorry for the disruption and inconvenience it may cause them".

It added that housing officers from the council are actively working with tenants to help them find alternative suitable housing: “We are committed to ensuring that they can all make the transition to other suitable homes with our support."

They said ultimately "we have a responsibility to look after our finances to support the provision of services that residents rely on".

Residents have been told they can remain in their properties until their tenancies expire - some run up to 2026.

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