A HOUSING activist has called on Blackbird Leys residents to “embarrass” the Government and city council into solving the estate’s housing woes.

Trade unionist and equality campaigner Debbie Hollingsworth organised an open forum in Blackbird Leys Community Centre last Tuesday.

Dozens of residents attended to talk about their struggles either affording rent or getting on the housing ladder.

Many said they felt trapped by sky-high rents despite living in run-down homes.

Ms Hollingsworth said recent welfare changes had left many vulnerable residents facing rent deficits.

She said: “There is a real shortage of social housing in Oxford and Blackbird Leys in particular is a place that suffers.

“It means landlords here charge ridiculous rates that people simply cannot afford.

“And if you look at most cases, Local Housing Allowance will fall below the private rents being charged.

“You are only likely to get £650 a month, but a one-bedroom home in most of Oxford will cost you £800 a month.

“Where will the money come from?

“Some properties within that allowance are unsuitable or badly maintained.

“Then you have to look at huge deposits and agency fees, and that many landlords don’t take tenants on housing benefit.

“Shouting about it embarrasses the Government and hopefully makes them listen.”

She said she hoped to hold more meetings for troubled and vulnerable residents in Blackbird Leys to get together in future.

One of those who attended was Paul Braithwaite, 32, of Field Avenue.

He said he was renting and could never see himself owning his own home.

Mr Braithwaite, unemployed since last year, said: “I went to college to retrain but I just can’t get a position anywhere. Without a job what chance do I have? Even when I was working as a labourer, I was only earning £18,000 a year and that is nowhere near enough to get a deposit.

“Any money I get goes on rent, and it’s lost to me, I can’t save. I feel completely trapped.

“It was good to know there are others out there, although what we can do about our situations I don’t know.”

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said the Government was “monitoring” the situation to ensure that those who needed support received it.

Last week Oxford City Council said it was “nowhere near” its target of building 2,000 affordable homes each year to meet demand.

City council leader Bob Price said it was doing all it could but faced Green Belt restrictions and an administrative border where East Oxford meets South Oxfordshire.