We are seeing an increase in the number of cases referred to us for help with funding for carpeting in social housing.

Social Landlords standard procedure is to remove all carpeting at the end of the tenancy and it is the responsibility of the new tenant to get new carpets fitted.

We had a case just this week, where the delivery of our furniture pack was delayed because a family allocated a flat by a Housing Association, was refused access because the Housing Association insisted new carpeting needed to be fitted before they could move in. So this family is now blocking a place at the Refuge, which is desperately needed by others, through no fault of their own and can’t move forward.

People on low income, which many of our families are, do not have the savings needed to pay the upfront costs of buying and installing carpets.

When we have funds available we will gladly help out with the cost, but unfortunately this is not always the case and sadly we are not always able to assist financially.

Through our partnership with South Coast Floors we get discounted rates which we are glad to share with our families but if there is no funding available to help pay for new carpets families have to take out a loan, even if they can get a loan which many don’t qualify for, putting them into debt at a time when they are trying to rebuild their lives.

If Social Landlords are demanding that tenants install carpeting then surely the landlord should take some responsibility in helping to fund this. In Wales they have passed regulations that all new social lets must come with flooring included but this has not been expanded across to England & Scotland.