Southwark has recently sent out a letter to thousands of private landlords asking them not to evict any of their tenants.

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The authority says that due to the second wave of Covid cases with increasing numbers of patients in hospitals together with the daily rise of unemployment across the country, the housing crisis is becoming worse.

The council says that when tenants are evicted it is left to the authority to house people who have been made homeless.

With the state of the economy coupled with severe job losses the authority says that is has seen its housing list rise from 10,000 to 13,000 over the last few months; cases of people living on the streets has increased to 17.

Although there has been some funding from the government, the authority stated that “it is in no way commensurate with the need in Southwark.”

In the spring Southwark received £33,000 from the government for the ‘Everyone In’ project to help house rough sleepers and another £545,000 for council services to help those who it cannot house under constitutional duty; the majority of cases are classed as vulnerable.

Last week the government gave the council a further £1m for housing as well as an extra £30m was made available for all of the council’s services.

A council spokeswoman says: “What is desperately needed is long term, consistent and adequate funding from the government to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping – particularly for those who we cannot lawfully support – and for the government to make good on its pledge to cover our COVID related costs.

“As well as this, we need private landlords to play their part and keep a roof over tenants’ heads, and to help with the supply of homes for people as properties become empty. It should never happen that we see people becoming homeless, especially as we approach colder months, and the more difficult economic times ahead.”

Besides urging landlords not to evict tenants the letter asks them to enrol in the council’s accreditation and guaranteed rent scheme, so both landlords and tenants can feel protected with secure housing and dependable rent payments.