Commenting on the recent Government report into tackling the ‘Studentification’ of citys where there are too many Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in one area often rented to groups of students, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary, Julia Goldsworthy said: 
“The Government has consistently failed to take changes such as an increase in the student population into account when setting local authority grants. This is not just about housing but also about vital support services, as population changes affect policing, local health services and rubbish collections. Yet again the Government has failed to put its money where its mouth is."

"Now that changes to the planning rules have been accepted for HMOs, it is time for the Government to give similar powers to the areas at risk of becoming ghost towns thanks to the growth of second homes.”