An English teacher at an Islington secondary school has said he might have to move out of the borough due to “extortionate rents”.
The teacher, who works at a school in Tufnell Park, has lived in Islington for the past seven years but says that during this time rent has “skyrocketed”.
He said he is now paying “hundreds” more than when he first moved to the borough, and that his rent had increased by more than a quarter over the last two years for the same shared house.
He added: “The only way that I’ve been able to afford to stay here is by living in privately owned shared housing with five other professionals, which is not a long-term solution to the problem.
“I want to be able to continue living in the community that I serve as a teacher, but it’s becoming almost impossible due to extortionate rents and property prices.”
The English teacher claims he knows other teachers and key workers who have recently moved out of the borough due to increased prices.
It comes as new analysis of Office for National Statistics (ONS) data from campaign group Generation Rent suggests key workers are being priced out of the capital.
According to the group, the average secondary school teacher in London would have to hand over almost half of their salary to afford rent on the median one bedroom home.
This cost equates to 6% more than that earned by a teaching assistant in a month.
Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey said: “Just a few years ago we were clapping on our doorsteps every week for key workers.
“Now they risk being driven out of our city because of soaring rents.”
ONS data shows that between October 2022 and September 2023, Islington had the fourth highest rents for one-bedroom homes in the capital, behind only Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and the City.
On average, a renter in Islington will pay £1,750 a month for this type of home – more than in neighbouring Camden and Hackney.
Barnsbury councillor Praful Nargund has now called for more affordable housing, as well as greater protections for private renters, to help solve the problem.
He said: “The housing crisis is dire, and this data shows that it is hitting our key workers in Islington hard.
“It’s not right that those who provide vital services such as care workers, bus drivers and teaching assistants should be priced out of living in our borough.
“These soaring rents are one more pressure on people’s budgets, which are already stretched tight in the cost-of-living crisis.”
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