North Edgbaston has become Birmingham's hotspot for supported exempt properties, with nearly 600 homes now housing vulnerable tenants, prompting urgent calls for action after a resident was stabbed three times in a family street.
The area now has 592 exempt properties housing 1,839 people, overtaking previous hotspots including Stockland Green, Sparkbrook and Aston, according to ward data.
Stabbing in Selsey Road
Last week, a resident in Selsey Road was violently attacked as he tried to disarm a nearby tenant who he saw armed with a knife in broad daylight. In the ensuing melee, he was stabbed three times.
Councillor Marcus Bernasconi, Labour, who represents the area, said: "This is a family man who has lived on the street for 16 years and in trying to defend his community from the absolute chaos (linked to) this property has been stabbed three times."
He added: "I visited the resident and, while he was discharged from hospital and luckily is in recovery, this could have been a hell of a lot worse, it could have been incredibly bad."
West Midlands Police confirmed they were called to Selsey Road on 6 September after a disorder involving a group of people. Two men were arrested for offences including wounding and making threats with a knife, while a man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening arm injuries.
Rising numbers and concerns
The number of exempt properties in North Edgbaston has rocketed in the last three years to what local councillors say are unmanageable levels. Exempt properties are a type of shared housing for struggling and vulnerable people with mental health and learning disability issues, care leavers, the homeless, ex-prisoners, drug addicts and those in recovery.
Cllr Bernasconi said he is furious that clear warning signs about the tenant's behaviour had not been dealt with, including allegations the same tenant had been reported for smashing car windows and breaking off wing mirrors.
His inquiries found a registered provider applied to have the house eligible for 'exempt' tenants in July, but this was rejected. However, tenants were moved in all the same, pending a new application, which has now been lodged.
Cllr Bernasconi is urging the council to again turn the application down on the grounds the tenants are not getting the support, care or supervision they need. The tenant involved in last week's fracas continues to live at the property.
Wider impact on the ward
Added the councillor: "I am just floored that the landlord is happy to keep this man inside the property only a few doors away from the victim and has no plan to move him. I can only presume they need him to retain his address so they can claim the enhanced housing benefit on his behalf."
Exempt landlords in Birmingham typically receive between £200 and £400 a week per tenant they house.
Cllr Bernasconi said the number of incidents reported to him has significantly escalated. Other recent incidents include a naked resident exposing himself to families on a busy street, multiple complaints of overt drug dealing and claims of properties being used for prostitution.
He said: "It is just a fact of life for some residents that they experience more anti-social behaviour, more chaos, more dumped rubbish and more risk when these properties are badly run. Overnight the entire mood of a street can change if a property owner decides to hand their keys over to an exempt provider whose priority is money, not on selecting tenants who they are capable of supporting, or who moved tenants in and then don't support them."
Calls for reform
Legislation agreed in 2023 to crack down on the sector and introduce new regulations including licensing and tougher enforcement is finally due to come in next year following intensive lobbying. But in the three years since the Bill passed it has been watered down amid industry concerns and the number of properties involved has continued to rocket.
Cllr Bernasconi said of the current situation in Birmingham: "I have long believed that with the challenges we have with exempt housing in Birmingham, all roads lead back to the housing benefits system. There is an audit report commissioned earlier this year that would lift the bonnet on what is happening. Frankly, I said it when Labour was in power, and I say it now we are in opposition, it doesn't matter who is in charge, we have to sort it."
He added: "My ward is the worst ward for SEA and we feel absolutely powerless to stop it because someone at the council is rubberstamping a new claim every single day. My residents have to suffer the consequences."
The ten most affected ward areas, with total number of exempt properties and live claims, are: North Edgbaston (592 properties, 1,839 claims), Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East (505, 1,478), Stockland Green (501, 1,506), Aston (494, 1,514), Soho & Jewellery Quarter (454, 1,288), Sparkhill (454, 1,427), Gravelly Hill (377, 1,046), Alum Rock (370, 1,057), Birchfield (356, 1,044) and Bordesley Green (339, 934).
Cllr Bernasconi concluded: "This recent example is sadly too normal for people who live on streets where badly run exempt properties operate. We have people with serious mental health issues and vulnerability who are packed into these properties with no support, and behaviour disintegrates and sometimes ends in violence. We cannot wait any longer for action."
