Almost 20,000 households in England were made homeless by landlords using section 21 notices in 2021/22, up from almost 9,000 in the previous financial year, “worrying” new government figures reveal. Housing activists complain that no-fault notices are sometimes used to trigger “retaliatory evictions” if tenants complain about conditions or rent increases. This week, former civil service chief Sir Bob Kerslake warned of a “catastrophic” homelessness crisis unless the government reinstates the eviction ban that protected tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Conservative government promised in 2019 to end the practice, but has yet to pass legislation. The more than doubling of homelessness from no-fault evictions is largely due to landlords being unable to use the eviction system for much of the pandemic as the government successfully moved to prevent homelessness from rising, including its ‘all inside”. in a wild sleep. However, the latest figures show that no-fault evictions are now causing more homelessness than in 2018/19 and 2019/20. The figures were “alarming”, said Fiona Colley, director of social change at Homeless Link, a membership organisation. “The financial pressures we face are pushing more and more people to the brink as the pandemic protection measures have run out,” he said. “But the cost of living crisis has exacerbated rather than caused this issue.” Nick Ballard, chief organizer at ACORN, a tenant activist organization, said he had seen a big increase in the number of members asking for help fighting no-fault evictions. “It can be devastating,” he said. “At the mildest end, it means uprooting entire families… at the most extreme, this is the leading cause of homelessness. People end up in overcrowded temporary accommodation… and sleeping rough.” There was also a 24% rise in the number of households with children seeking help from councils to avoid homelessness, compared to the previous year, and notable increases in the number of workers and black and Asian people presenting as homeless. Overall, however, the number of households at risk of homelessness remained below the pre-Covid level in 2019-20. During the pandemic, the government instituted a moratorium on evictions and the usual two-month notice period was extended. But the eviction ban was lifted in England in June 2021 and in October eviction notice periods reverted to two months. Section 21 notices are allowed under the Housing Act 1988 and allow landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason. The Conservative government has been criticized for failing to keep its promise to end the practice. In 2019 her manifesto promised to scrap it in “a better deal for tenants”. The legislation has not yet been passed. The Queen’s Speech in May 2022 confirmed that a Tenancy Reform Bill will be introduced in the 2022-23 parliamentary session, but the new government’s policy is unclear. The proposition is that a tenancy can only end if the tenant breaks it or if the landlord has a valid reason for possession. New spaces will be created to allow landlords to sell or move close family members into the property and will strengthen appeals about persistent rent arrears and anti-social behaviour. “The Prime Minister needs to commit to introducing the Tenant Reform Bill, helping tenants to protect tenants from being hit by no-fault eviction and setting out a clear plan to deliver truly affordable housing,” said Matt Downie, chief executive of the homelessness charity. Crisis. “Only through such decisive action can thousands more people be protected from homelessness in the coming months.” The Department of Levelling, Spoilage and Communities has been approached for comment.
