This week in Rye News we have three stories that bring home the housing crisis facing young people in Rye and the surrounding villages. For many, it’s a choice between living at home with their parents, sharing with strangers or moving away, often travelling to work in Rye from Hastings or Ashford.
High housing costs, whether to rent or buy, low pay and a lack of available housing are to blame. Whilst there are plans for hundreds of new homes in and around Rye, there are currently no confirmed proposals for affordable or social housing.
Amber Bristow and her partner Alfie live with her parents in Camber. She recently set up a dog grooming business and Alfie works as a fencer in New Romney.
“We’ve both been working full time for five years but struggle to save due to the cost of fuel, food, and travel,” she said. “The cost of additional bills means we can’t survive on the little money left over.”
Amber’s mother Michelle doesn’t see any possibility of them moving out soon. “I think they will be with us forever, sadly it’s the same for anyone on a low income.” The house in Camber is also home to Amber’s sister Ruby and her boyfriend who are both self-employed farmers and unable to move out too.
For those unable to stay with their parents, leaving the local area to find somewhere to live is also a common problem. Tony* rents in Hastings but works in Rye, where he also has family connections.
He had been struggling to find a home until meeting his new partner.
Originally from Canterbury, he moved to the Rye area to stay with his aunt before trying to find his own place. He was unable to rent anywhere until he and his new partner found a flat they could both afford to move into.
A roof of their own that was also right next to his work.
A year later Tony and his partner split up, and the reality of the housing crisis hit home. His landlord would not accept him on his own without a guarantor who needed to prove their earnings were at least £30,000. Tony didn’t have a guarantor with that much money; in fact, he didn’t have a guarantor at all.
He was forced to give up the flat to move to Hastings, into a house share with a group of strangers. He could afford the rent in Rye but now has to travel back and forth from Hastings for work. Just thirty yards from his old flat.
Both Amber and Tony have full-time jobs, for others low paid work means the chance of renting or even buying a home is a long way off.
Marcus* moved to Camber to stay with friends three months ago hoping to find a job and begin saving to rent somewhere. Something that seems out of reach, he says, “I want to get my own place but don’t know how I can. Seems so hard”.
He works in security on minimum wage, seasonal work which will be busy in the spring and summer but once autumn comes his hours will decrease.
How have you been affected by Rye’s housing crisis? Leave a comment below or email us at info@ryenews.org.uk
*Names changed.
Image Credits: Fred Holt .