The island’s biggest housing authority also recommended the largest increase in rents, our FoI has revealed.
Manx.News asked for the DoI to release the requested increases after it announced rents would go up by 5%, with effect from Monday April 7.
In the reply received from the DoI, it is revealed that Douglas asked for a7% increase, having originally recommend a 4.7% increase before an update from its executive committee.
Douglas, which has more than five times the number of homes as the second largest authority, also wanted greater allowances for admin costs, maintenance and community funding.
Of the other authorities, Castletown and Southern Sheltered housing sought a 5% rise, while Port St Mary recommended 4.5%, Peel 4% and Braddan suggested 3%-5%.
Onchan and Peel were the only authorities to recommend no increase be put on their housing stock.
Maintenance
What the FoI also shows is the difficulty housing authorities are facing with maintenance costs.
As well as Douglas asking for greater allowances, Ramsey and Ramsey and Northern Housing asked that maintenance allowances could rise by 32% “due to increase in materials”.
Port Erin and Peel and Western Housing also asked for 35% increase, highlighting the financial pressures on authorities to maintain their housing stock.
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