Shelter and Generation Rent have separately made a case for more cash help for tenants, claiming the current pandemic and energy crises hit renters particularly badly.
Shelter claims that 26 per cent of adult renters in England (it says this adds up to 5.3m people) already say they cannot keep their homes warm in winter.
And over a third of private renters in England, equivalent to two million households, now receive housing benefit to help pay their rent – up from 25 per cent before the pandemic.
Shelter’s warning comes as the furlough scheme is due to end on Thursday of this week and the government plans to cut the temporary £20 a week boost to Universal Credit next week.
Shelter wants the government to reverse its decision to cut Universal Credit and to instead provide a package of emergency financial aid for renters with Covid-related arrears.
Chief executive Polly Neate says: “The triple whammy of the furlough scheme ending, cuts to Universal Credit and rocketing fuel prices may be the final straw for many renters barely hanging on to their homes. We are facing a perfect storm for homelessness to rise, and the new Housing Secretary [Michael Gove] must get a handle on this before winter arrives.
“Our research shows that one in four renters couldn’t keep their homes warm in winter, even before this latest price hike. No parent should have to choose between putting the heating on, food on the table or paying their rent – but that is the reality for so many families right now. And our helpline is already inundated with calls from people who are terrified of being evicted.
“Renters urgently need a lifeline. The government must reverse its decision to cut Universal Credit and provide emergency grants to renters with Covid-arrears to pay off their debts. Otherwise, homelessness will regrettably rise.”
Meanwhile in a separate call, Generation Rent wants cash for renters who move when a landlord sells up.
“The government has rightly committed to the abolition of Section 21 evictions, but this is too late for the thousands of renters who have faced homelessness while the reforms have been delayed” says Baroness Alicia Kennedy, who is director of the campaigning group.
“To give renters the security that everyone should expect from their home, the government must make sure that the use of new eviction grounds for sale is minimised and landlords who force their blameless tenants out provide adequate financial support.”
Her group claims that over 40,000 households in England have been threatened with homelessness using Section 21 eviction grounds in the two years since the government promised to abolish such powers.
It then singles out the London borough of Hillingdon - which contains the constituency of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Generation Rent claims Hillingdon has “the second worst rate in the country with 29 in every 1000 private renter households having faced homelessness after complaining about disrepair, or their landlord decided to sell or re-let their home.”
The activist group wants the government’s upcoming White Paper on the Private Rented Sector to include measures that allow renters to challenge evictions when the landlord wishes to sell, and wants tenants to be given financial support “if forced to move for reasons outside their control.”
Baroness Kennedy continues: “Being forced to move for reasons outside your control creates unimaginable stress, uproots you from your community and disrupts children’s education. Right now landlords need no reason to inflict this on their tenants.”
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It says the Government had
rightly agreed to abolish Section 21. I am my aware of this and if they have it will be wrongly agreed.
How can they expect to get away we this bluster, they are talking about millions of Private renters on the one hand, then says one third equals 2m, going on a rise of 26% of what ?. trying to compare fractions and huge numbers to percentages of nothing, go back to school just go away pulling to wool, yes that’s right & tell Michael Gove he must.
As usual those who like to think they rule us.
Try to bamboozled us with fake Statistics
We can actually work out what the figures are Michael, as it claims Hillingdon is the second worst Borough in the country for 'facing homelessness ' (so presumably not actually evicted) at a rate of 29 in every 1000. This is a huge rate of....0.029!!! Hardly worth talking about!
Why don't poor tenants go after the million job vacancies that apparently exist out there?
Working longer and harder is the best way to escape poverty.
Moaning just makes everyone miserable and solves nothing.
They are out for the free ride just like so many are now .
Might I just offer an answer ?
Because they are: Lazy good for nothings......!!
“Tenants should have the right to challenge evictions and receive financial support should the Landlord need to sell”. Which ever way Generation Rent and the rest of them, wish to paint it ‘THE PROPERTY IS OWNED BY THE LANDLORD’ so who the hell are these activists to dictate what we do with them.
Hoorah!
Francis, exactly right if I may say so, we didn’t get their advice, interference or support when we purchased, no funding for free from anyone, so now what gives them to right to your property.
How on earth do home owners manage so quietly after experiencing the same set of events
By using common sense, initiative, pragmatism and accepting responsibility for their own lives and requirements - all things sadly lacking in those whom Shelter, Generation Rant etc seek to protect at the expense of decent tenants and hard working tax payers in general ( including landlords).
The totally unnecessary fuel crisis. North Harrow this morning trying to go to my property there, queues half mile long to 2 Filling Stations there blocking roads & causing congestion. As I say before the answer is so simple all Government needed to do was give garages a right to their terms & conditions of Service to look at the fuel gage and if half full or more good bye, you are not short and if less than half tank give limited top, similarly for portable petrol cans 5 litres max. So easy to Police all garages have ANR cameras so no need for confrontation if someone is difficult just send a penalty in the post later. Then plenty for everyone instead of some people sitting on full tanks often doing nothing while others can’t get any to go to work or run their Business .
easier is minimum charge of say £35 a visit
All crisis created by media and government.
Spreading scare stories and people panicking loosing millions in economy. While politicians sit on their back sides doing nothing just contemplating on action to take with out understanding the B isssues they have created. If the solve small issues like fuel crisis. What would happen if we were at war. The army would run out of fuel before take action. Politicians need to work for the people not building contacts and support their parties and for their own gain
They’re working to an agenda and certainly not for the good of the people
Guy Fawkes , there’s a reason why anonymous use his face as a mask
I agree people that rent should be helped when they need it.
Buy making sure that the people who are actually giving them somewhere to live. The money should be able to be applied for and given to landlords.
Let any debts be shouldered by the government not the landlord.
You can also help by recognizing that renting is a business and landlord is a profession. So the same allowances against tax can be made.
After all taxes are paid on profits not turnover.
Terry my friend £35. a visit they’ll queuing up even more, here there and everywhere, not knocking you.
no--£35 is minimum--so if you put one gallon in--£35
Ok Terry, so if it’s a minimum of one gallon £35. fair enough I am not going to do that or either is any one else, but if I have half a tank left I am still going to fill it up and have a full tank so it doesn’t stop it.
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