Press release from the TUC

To help young people find decent housing in the economic downturn, the TUC has today [Friday 5 December] published A Place to Live today.

A Place to Live is a new housing advice guide for young people. The comprehensive leaflet presents the housing options available for young people, from living with parents or in rented accommodation, through to buying their own home.

The leaflet also includes National Union of Students (NUS) guidance for inspecting a property, and sections on what housing will cost, what housing benefit is available, what to do in a housing emergency and where else to turn for advice.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Finding somewhere to live is a very important issue for young people, whether it involves staying at home with family, moving into university halls of residence, or buying a home of their own.

'Housing costs eat up a big chunk of most people's income, so it is vital young people have all the information they need to make an informed choice about what will suit them best and what they can afford.

'Unions believe that everybody should be able to have a decent home and the TUC is campaigning to improve the housing situation throughout the UK.

'We are lobbying to end the housing shortage that has brought boom and bust to the private housing market, and has kept far too many people living in unsuitable accommodation while they wait for social housing.'

The TUC's targets for fair housing include: three million new homes to be built by 2020 to beat the housing shortage;greatly increasing the rate of social housing built by local authorities and housing associations so that social renting becomes a real alternative to buying a house;ensuring that there are sufficient mortgages available to get the private sector housing market back on its feet; modernising and repairing existing houses; making house building more environmentally friendly - and carbon neutral by 2016; andchanging the housing benefit rules that discriminate against young people.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- A Place to Live is available at: http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/housingleaflet.pdf

- Copies of A Place to Live will be available from the TUC and from student unions across the country.

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Register for the TUC's press extranet: a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre-embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E:media@tuc.org.uk Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk