industry news
Possession orders down but evictions hit record levels
the numbers losing their home has risen to record levels. Ministry of Justice figures show that in 2015
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more than 250 tenants were evicted every day in England and Wales. This represents a growing trend in recent years of landlords taking firmer action against a backdrop of welfare benefit cuts and a huge growth in demand for rented accommodation. The number of evictions increased by 53 per
cent over the five years from 2010. In England, 19,093 evictions were by social landlords - housing associations and councils, while 5,919 were by private landlords. A further 16,440 evictions were made through
the “accelerated procedure”, which can be used by landlords to evict tenants on assured shorthold tenancies. This figure more than trebled from 5,641 in 2010 to 16,440 in 2015.
Bailiffs
In total 42,728 households in rented accommodation were forcibly removed by bailiffs – this is understood to be the highest number since records began in 2000. Landlord claims to repossess their properties
because tenants had fallen into arrears fell between 2002 and 2010, before rising to their current level – 53 per cent higher than 2010 and 2 per cent higher than 2014. But even these frightening figures do not reveal
the full picture as many tenants leave before this stage is reached – either to avoid the indignity of being “kicked out” or because they have reached an agreement to leave. And where tenants live in the country has a big
impact on having action taken against them, no doubt fuelled by higher demand and higher rental values in the South East of England. Tenants in London were the most likely to lose
their homes, as 16 of the 20 boroughs with the highest proportion of landlord repossessions are in
n a strange twist, official figures released for last year show that while court action against tenants for rent arrears has fallen,
the capital, with Newham in East London recording the highest rate at 191 repossessions for every 100,000 households in the area.
Possession claims down!
Meanwhile in what appears to be a counter intuitive set of figures, the number of possession claims started by landlords actually fell during the year to 148,043.
“Meanwhile in what appears to be a counter intuitive set of figures, the number of possession claims started by landlords actually fell during the year to 148,043. Of these, 90,317 claims were started by social landlords, 20,063 by private landlords and 37,663 were accelerated claims”
Of these, 90,317 claims were started by social
landlords, 20,063 by private landlords and 37,663 were accelerated claims, which are usually only used by private landlords. The Ministry of Justice figures show social
landlords have reduced the number of possession cases they instigated from almost 108,000 claims in 2013, to 100,776 in 2014 and then down to 90,317 claims last year. It is likely this fall in possession claim figures
(back down to 2011 levels) is due to social landlords working more closely with tenants to prevent rent arrears building up in the face of welfare reform changes and in helping tenants to manage their finances better. Ongoing welfare benefit freezes and cuts will test the ability of landlords to collect rent, keep arrears down and cases out of the courts.
Five-year record of possession claims by social landlords Year
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Number 85,519 92,189
107,893 100,776 90,317
Free Wi-Fi for silver surfers in Salford
8,300 properties across central Salford, has teamed up with Salford Council to have free Wi-Fi installed at its eight sheltered housing complexes for the elderly across the city. The initiative comes after Salford was
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awarded £2 million from the Department of Culture Media and Sport to install free Wi-Fi access points in public buildings including libraries and community centres. Studies have found that there are 7.4million
people in the UK who have never used the internet, of which 6.3 million are over the age of 55. Sue Sutton, executive director of operations
at Salix Homes, said: “In today’s digital era it’s more important than ever that we make it as simple as possible for our tenants to get online and more importantly stay online. “Our aim is to get as many of our older
tenants on the internet as possible, which we hope will help combat the feelings of isolation which are so common for older people and enable them to reconnect with their families and friends online. “It’s important that everyone, no matter how
old you are has the skills to get online. It’s wonderful to see how eager people are to take part and they are certainly proving you are never too old to learn.” Salix Homes has been running Silver Surfer
basic IT sessions for tenants at its sheltered housing complexes, which have proved a real hit with the older generation who are eager to embrace the digital revolution and explore the online world. Salix Homes tenant Hilda Ellis, 73, from
Langworthy, said: “My family bought me a tablet computer because they said I had to get into the modern world, but I didn’t have a clue what to do with it at first – I didn’t even know how to turn it on. “The IT sessions have been brilliant, I’ve
learnt how to email and how to Skype and now I can use it to keep in contact with my family in Australia.” Councillor Gena Merrett, Assistant Mayor for
Housing and Environment at Salford City Council, added: “Free Wi-Fi is fantastic news for people in sheltered accommodation and it will make a positive difference to their lives. “The use of the internet has exploded in
recent years and we want to make sure people have the connectivity they need. People can now communicate with family and friends for free, pay bills online and research prices before making a purchase.”
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM March 2016 | 13
ilver surfers in Salford can now benefit from free Wi-Fi. Housing association Salix Homes, which owns more than
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