Industry News


Over 50,000 households threatened with no-fault evictions since ban on them was promised nearly four years ago


According to Government statistics, some 52,800 households were threatened with homelessness due to Section 21 eviction notices being served on them between April 2019 and June 2022. Meanwhile one in 12 private renters in England


– equivalent to 941,000 people – are currently under threat of eviction, according to research from the housing charity Shelter. Te charity’s polling, conducted by YouGov


and funded by Nationwide Building Society, found that of those at risk of eviction, 504,000 private renters had received or been threatened with an eviction notice in the last month, up 80% on the same period last year, and 482,000 are behind on their rent, putting their home in danger. Back in April 2019 the Government said it


would ban Section 21 evictions, as part of its planned reforms to the rules governing private rentals. Tese currently allow landlords give tenants just eight weeks’ notice to leave a property at the end of a fixed-term contract. Under the new proposals, landlords will


only be able to evict a tenant in “reasonable circumstances”, which will be set out in the new law on rental reform expected to receive Royal Assent this year. Late last year it was revealed the number of


tenants facing homelessness had risen by 76% in a year. Government figures showed that 5,940 households in England were issued with a Section 21 eviction notice between April and June 2022 compared with 3,380 notices in the same period in 2021. Darren Rodwell, housing spokesman for the


Local Government Association said: “With the number of Section 21 evictions increasing, as well as the cost of living continuing to rise and more Ukrainian arrivals presenting as homeless, councils are increasingly concerned of a national homelessness crisis.” “Tese pressures, combined with depleting


social housing stock and an unaffordable private rented sector, feels like a perfect storm for services trying to prevent homelessness.” He urged the Government to bring forward


the ban on Section 21 evictions and to look at developing a cross-departmental homelessness prevention strategy.


More than 120,000 children spent Christmas in temporary accommodation


L


atest figures for England show there were a total of 120,710 dependent homeless children living in temporary


accommodation, with 2,320 of these in bed and breakfast hotels. Te Local Government Association equated


the number to over 4,500 primary school classes worth of homeless children living in temporary accommodation amid concerns of a national homelessness crisis. Te housing charity Shelter estimated the figure was equivalent to one in every 100 children across the country. Te LGA said the number of children


who woke up on Christmas morning in temporary accommodation highlights the urgent need to ensure the building of more affordable homes for rent and ensuring the private rented sector is affordable for people claiming housing related benefits. Councils ambitions to get on with building


homes, with land for more than 2.6 million homes allocated in Local Plans and nine in 10 planning applications being approved. But the LGA says the right powers must be provided to incentivise developers to get building, including being able to charge full council tax for every unbuilt development from the point the original planning permission expires. Meanwhile, Local Housing Allowance rates


have been frozen since March 2020 meaning the private sector is becoming less and less feasible for households dependent on housing support, as their limited income cannot stretch to paying the rent on most properties. With the number of Section 21 ‘no fault’


evictions increasing, the cost of living continuing to rise and more Ukrainian arrivals presenting as homeless, councils are increasingly concerned of a national homelessness crisis. Tese pressures, combined with depleting social housing stock and an unaffordable and overly competitive private rented market, feels like a perfect storm for services trying to prevent homelessness. Te LGA says urgent work is needed to prevent


further disruption to children’s schooling, home lives and social lives, which have already been significantly impacted as a result of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It says the Government must look at


developing a cross-departmental homelessness prevention strategy which addresses the drivers and levers of homelessness within policy which reviews Local Housing Allowance rates,


8 | HMMFebruary/March 2023 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


The LGA said the number of children who woke up on Christmas morning in temporary accommodation highlights the urgent need to ensure the building of more affordable homes for rent and ensuring the private rented sector is affordable for people claiming housing related benefits.


prioritises a significant increase in social housing and uses the upcoming renter’s reform to create a private rented sector that is safe, stable, and affordable. Councillor David Renard, LGA housing


spokesperson, said: “Living in temporary accommodation can cause great disruption for children and families. As we face the reality of a national homelessness crisis, it is crucial we make addressing the chronic housing shortage a priority.” “Suitable housing must be found for those


already homeless, but we must also ensure everything possible is being done to combat the rising cost of living and prevent further people from becoming homeless.” “Te best way to improve housing security


is to address the unaffordability of housing by giving councils the right powers and investment to build 100,000 new social rent homes a year, and to reform the Right to Buy scheme so that it is more sustainable.” “Government should also use the upcoming


finance settlement to urgently review Local Housing Allowance rates to ensure that at least a third of the market is affordable for people claiming housing related benefits.”


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