2nd
Aug 2021
Failing to stop the lifting of Section 21 ban on evictions there is now a new demand from activist groups that all Section 24 evictions must be suspended until the Rental Reform Act is finally agreed upon and passed, which could take up to a year before becoming law.
The demand is issued by Generation Rent and other activists which is featured in the latest edition of The Big Issue magazine, saying that evictions will cause “an avalanche of homelessness this autumn once Covid-related support ends.”
The feature states that between January and March this year there were a total of 632 rental evictions and mortgage repossessions throughout UK, “meaning a new household was made homeless every three and a half hours.”
The Big Issue cites four main causes which will create a tidal wave of homelessness, a sharp rise in evictions and repossessions, the furlough scheme being ended and the year’s increase in Universal Credit being stopped (an extra £1000 per year), as well as the expected energy price increases.
The publication quotes Baroness Alicia Kennedy - director of Generation Rent - saying: “The number of private renters getting Universal Credit has doubled since the start of the pandemic, and the level of support it provides is not enough to cover the rent. That means people getting behind on rent and at risk of eviction. Even if their income recovers, it will be impossible to pay off all this debt while staying on top of other bills.”
Lord John Bird, the founder of The Big Issue, also adds: “More people are at risk of homelessness now than at any time in living memory. Against a background of 1.9m jobs at risk of permanent loss from the pandemic, this should be ringing alarm bells throughout the country.
“The government was quick to support us when they put over 37,000 homeless people into accommodation in the first lockdown. We need a similar urgent approach to prevent an avalanche of homelessness this autumn.”
The Big Issue demands that the government must quickly introduce a raft of measures to offset the crisis including a strong and robust system of interest free loans and means-tested grants to pay back arrears, and all evictions must be put on hold until a Renters’ Reform Act is made law.
Baroness Kennedy concludes: “The government must step in and clear this rent debt and let renters get on with their lives. Otherwise society will pay a higher price through a homelessness crisis.”
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