'Terrified of rent increase': How housing benefit cuts hit renters

The government froze local housing allowance, which effectively meant a real-terms cut to housing benefit. This is what it means for renters

A copy of the book 'Never Split The Difference - negotiating as if your life depended on it' by Chris Voss, with Tahl Raz.

Book 20 of 2026.

A hostage negotiator's take on negotiation. Pitched as a business book, but the context is quite different - there's no splitting the difference in a hostage negotiation - you either get them out or you don't. A few useful tips for life, and some interesting stories. 3⭐

This is awful news. One of the original legal bloggers and one of the very best. nearlylegal.co.uk/2026/04/gile...

Strong Paul Martin "mad as hell" vibes. Didn't end well for him. www.theguardian.com/world/2004/f...

DEADLINE TODAY

Your chance to become our next CEO closes today!

Apply now: www.generationrent.org/generation-r...

A country lane snakes off into the distance, it's wet and there are large puddles. Behind some trees, the sun is low in the sky.

Really weird day for weather in Yorkshire - sun, heavy hail, rain. But dried up enough for a lovely evening in the lanes.

BBC immigration investigation comes across as a v unusally editorialised + framed piece of reporting on the BBC 10 o'clock news for many years.

Poor to choose an election period, when immigraion salience has biggest contrast between voters of different parties in Wales, Scotland + England.

Tonight, we will be in Swansea for special housing hustings. An opportunity for people with lived experience of the housing emergency to ensure politicians hear their voice ahead of important elections. It’s not too late to register, see here for details.

@thewallich.bsky.social

Promotional tile for the webinar

MoH director Matt Turtle will be speaking at this webinar from Homeless Link on 29th April alongside the UK Health Safety Agency

SWEP: more than just temperature

Its online & free. homeless.org.uk/events/swep-...

We will be discussing our findings in our Severe Weather Emergency investigation

I don't think so. East India as close as you can get - but would love someone to tell me I'm wrong :)

It's odd - I often stay in Newham when I'm in London for work. If I'm at Olympic Park I can cycle in/out of central London on a TFL bike. If I'm at Excel I think nearest docking station is East India. Seems particularly odd nothing at city hall - and such good lanes now it'd be a breeze :)

The lanes are great. It really needs a closer Santander cycle station - bizarre there's not one at City Hall at least.

A copy of 'If Russia Wins - A Scenario' by Carlo Masala lies on a train tray table.

Book 19 of 2026

Terrifyingly plausible. Perhaps a few more elections like Hungary's will make it less so...?

#booksky

BACK-TO-BACK WINS! ❤️‍🔥

We Are Hiring: Policy Officer role open at Housing Rights, apply by Monday, April 20, 2026.

Would you like to help drive policy around housing in Northern Ireland?

If you have experience in policy and public affairs work, including lobbying or have relevant experience in providing housing advice, this job could be right for you.

www.housingrights.org.uk/work-us/policy-officer-part-time

Only 10 days to go!

Could you be the leader to take Generation Rent forward and secure stronger rights for private renters?

If so, we’d love to hear from you! Don’t miss out, the application window closes in just 10 days.

Apply here:
www.generationrent.org/generation-r...

'Push' needed on homelessness in light of Middlesbrough's City of Culture bid Middlesbrough councillor Ian Morrish highlighted litter generated by rough sleepers living in tents

How about trying to end homelessness even when you're not bidding for city of culture? Just a thought.
www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teessid...

Did you catch #TakeBacktheCity on the radio last weekend? 👂📻

PPR’s Assistant Director Marissa spoke to Radio Ulster about the development of the Take Back the City campaign, for an episode of Consumer Fight Back on housing.

Listen to the full episode here 👉 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

One for English council and housing association folk - webinar later this month hosted by @fft.bsky.social, Homes England speaking on using the new SAHP to develop Gypsy and Traveller sites :
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-social...

The Tyne and Wear Metro also has a station called 'University' which serves one of the two Sunderland Uni campuses. I do wonder how many people arriving in Newcastle for the first time head there expecting to find Newcastle or Northumbria Uni.

A hand holds a copy of 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' by Otessa Moshfegh. In the background, there's a sandy beach, a cliff and blue sky

Book 18 of 2026.

Disturbing but darkly (laugh out loud) funny. And really sensory - colours, smells, textures. Real what have I just read? stuff.

#booksky

A copy of 'From Germany to Germany: Diary 1990' by Günter Grass stands on a table.

Book 17 of 2026.

German reunification diarised. Grass is frustrating - arrogant and naive in equal measure. A reminder that not everyone was optimistic in the early 1990s as we might think 30 years on.

#booksky

Greggs sausage rolls arranged in a cross on a Greggs paper bag

He died for our sins...

A stack of books, from top to bottom they are: - The Poison Line by Cara McGoogan - Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith - Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumata - Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson - Chernobyl Roulette by Serhii Plokhy - One Day in September by Simon Reeve - You Don't Have to Live Like This by Benjamin Markovits

What I read in March.

Nice mix of fiction and non-fiction. All decent, but would particularly recommend Abundance and the Plokhy book on wartime Chernobyl.

#booksky

Props to @jessmccabe.bsky.social for the scoop that led to this

This is why strong specialist journalism is so important. Great job, Jess.

Grenfell was tragic 'but everyone dies in the end', says Reform's new housing chief Reform UK's Simon Dudley suggested post-Grenfell safety rules have gone too far

Thanks to the i for picking up my interview with Reform’s housing spokesperson >>

inews.co.uk/news/grenfel...

🚨Generation Rent are Hiring! 🚨

Are you passionate about renters rights? Are you an effective manager and persuasive campaigner? If so, please apply to be our new Chief Executive 👇

Apply here: www.generationrent.org/generation-r...

DEADLINE: Apply by Monday 20th April 2026

Come and work with us. Private Rented Sector Champions Manager. “I love working at Tai Pawb because it’s an incredibly high-impact organisation dedicated to making meaningful changes in housing equality in Wales. Flexible work arrangements, such as hybrid working and the four-day week, mean I achieve a better work-life balance.”

One week left to apply to become our Private Rented Sector Champions Manager.

As part of the award-winning BOOST project, you'd be working with tenants, landlords and sector stakeholders across Gwent to promote equality in private renting.

More information here: www.taipawb.org/about/jobs/