Industry News


Tenants over 55 hit with a no-fault eviction notice every 16 minutes


T


he housing charity and campaigning group Shelter wants Section 21 property possessions urgently scrapped as nearly


three in ten older renters fear eviction. In England, a no-fault eviction notice


drops through the letterbox of an older private renter every 16 minutes, research from Shelter has revealed. Te charity’s research, conducted by YouGov


and funded by Te Co-operative Bank, has shone a spotlight on the struggle older renters face in keeping a roof over their heads. Nearly three in ten (28%) private tenants over the age of 55 – which equates to 400,000 people – live in fear of being evicted by their landlord. People who receive Section 21 notices have only


two months to move out and their landlords do not have to give a reason for evicting them. But a third of all private renters (34%) say, the last time they moved, it took them longer than two months to find a new privately rented home. With Parliament back from its summer break,


Shelter is urging Ministers to finally scrap no-fault evictions and protect at-risk renters from the threat of Section 21. Shelter warns delays to the Renters


(Reform) Bill are harming the health of thousands of older tenants. Research from Shelter and Te Co-operative Bank found that a quarter (25%) of renters aged over 55 say worrying about eviction is negatively impacting their mental or physical health, while one in four (24%) said housing problems or


worries had made them feel physically sick in the past year. Te gross instability caused by Section 21


no-fault evictions has meant the rental sector is not fit for purpose for the growing number of older tenants who call it home. Nearly one fiſth (19%) of adult private renters in England are over 55 – up 31% in the past decade. Shelter is calling on the Government to make


passing the Renters (Reform) Bill a top priority. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Older renters may already be retired or planning for retirement at this point in their lives. Tey shouldn’t have knots in their stomachs, constantly afraid that their landlord is going to kick them out of their home for no reason.” “We hear from hundreds of over 55s who have


worked for decades in search of safety and security later in life. It’s a disgrace that so many are being stripped of a stable home by the gross injustice of Section 21 no-fault evictions.” “Instead of forcing older renters to pay over the


odds for oſten shoddy rentals that leave them sick with worry, the government must keep its word, and get the Renters (Reform) Bill over the line. Tenants are tired of waiting for a system that makes private renting safe and fair for all.” Nick Slape, chief executive officer at Te


Co-operative Bank, said: “Fighting inequality across the UK is extremely important to our customers, and that’s why we’re campaigning for better rights for renters alongside Shelter. We know the private rented system in this country needs urgent reform


Nick Slape, Chief Executive Officer at The Co-operative Bank, said: “Fighting inequality across the UK is extremely important to our customers, and that’s why we’re campaigning for better rights for renters alongside Shelter.”


and this new research shows just how desperate the situation has become.” “Together with our partner Shelter we are


calling on the Government to prioritise the Renters (Reform) Bill now, to protect tenants across the country and deliver lasting change.”


Numbers in temporary accommodation in England hits record high


Te number of people living in temporary accommodation in England has hit a 25 year high, according to official figures. Almost 105,000 households were in


temporary accommodation, including more than 131,000 children, on 31 March this year. Tis figure is 10% up on the same day last year, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities data shows. Tis latest figure for temporary accommodation


surpasses a previous high of 101,300 reached in 2004, and is the highest since records began in 1998.


Te figures also show almost 14,000 households were in hotels or bed & breakfasts in the three months to March. Tere are currently more than 200 families living


in hotels and bed and breakfasts in Plymouth, and the local council estimates it will spend £6.8m supporting them this year, about 10 times more than five years ago. “Te whole system’s broken,” says Chris


Penberthy, the council’s lead member for housing. “We don’t have enough affordable housing for people who need it. So our waiting list has gone from 8,000 to 12,500 in the last three years.” “Tat means that when people are in temporary


accommodation, there’s nowhere for them to move to, which means that there’s nowhere for people in bed & breakfast to move to.” Te figures also show a sharp rise in


homelessness in older people, in the year to 31 March, with a 33.3% increase in the number of homeless households with a priority need due to old age. At the root of the problem, say campaigners,


16 | HMMOctober/November 2023 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


is a lack of housing, exacerbated by a decision by Ministers to freeze local housing allowance rates for the past three years. Amid soaring rents, that choice has leſt much of


the country unaffordable for any household needing housing benefit to help pay their rent, while in many areas, landlords are leaving the sector. Shelter says the instability of private renting is


a major contributor to rising homelessness. Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: “Once again, we see the crippling cost that years of no investment in housing benefit and a shameful lack of social house building is having by trapping families in temporary accommodation.” A Government official said it had “given £2bn


over three years to help local authorities tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, targeted to areas where it is needed most”. “Te Government is also improving availability


of social housing,” the official said. “We are committed to delivering 300,000 new homes per year and investing £11.5bn to build the affordable quality homes this country needs.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44