Stockton tenants of the housing association Thirteen Group face a rent rise this year of 4.8% – that’s 1% over the rate of inflation. This is the fifth inflationary increase in as many years, with rents rising each time by 1% on top of the level of inflation.
Shared ownership rents have hiked to 5%.
“Heating or eating”
Stockton Labour councillors Paul Weston and Katie Weston (a father and daughter team) have written to Thirteen in protest. In their letter they point out that some of the residents they represent, “are having to choose between heating or eating”.
The Westons have made a formal request to Thirteen for a rent freeze.
The councillors report that the increases are at the ceiling the government allows. Rents will have gone up by over 28% in those five years, they say.
Thirteen Group
Is Thirteen.Group, a non-profit organisation, facing the same financial crunch as local authorities around the country?
The answer is no. According to their 2025 Annual Report, Thirteen’s capital and reserves have risen from £632.7mn to £838.8mn across the same five years.
Thirteen’s surplus for 2021 was £19.3mn and by 2025 it had risen to £34.1mn.
Thirteen’s top officers are not choosing between heating and eating. The Chief Executive Officer enjoys a salary of £221,550.
Salaries of the next four top-paid employees are between £150,000 and £200,000.
The 31 non-executive directors were paid a total of £175,000 last year.
The association’s housing was transferred from Stockton Council to Thirteen’s predecessors for a nominal sum.
Councillors’ letter
In their letter the two councillors state:
“It is difficult to reconcile the goal of tackling social deprivation with a policy that extracts more money from the households least able to pay, while the organization sits on reserves exceeding £800 mn.”
