A charity is suggesting that if only the government got on with abolishing S21 eviction powers, homelessness would be eased.

Crisis – which has made this assertion in the past – says new figures show that 8,747 people in England and Wales were served with a Section 21 eviction notice in the third quarter of this year – which is a 32 per cent increase on this time last year.

The charity says the statistics, from the Ministry of Justice, also show a 13 per cent increase in S21 eviction notices over three months, and a 31 per cent rise in actual carried out by bailiffs for Section 21s.

The number of overall eviction notices served have increased across all regions. In London alone, 8,014 eviction notices were served which is an increase of 35 per cent from this time last year, claims Crisis.

The charity is also complaining that although the government is abolishing S21 via the Renters Reform Bill, this will only happen after reform of eviction court processes – which it claims could take years.

Matt Downie, Crisis chief executive, says: “Yet again, we see evidence of the insurmountable pressures placed on renters because of soaring rents and the cost of living crisis. 

“With each eviction notice served comes the stress of finding somewhere else to live. In many cases, there are simply no affordable homes available.

“While the Westminster Government reaffirmed its commitment to scrap no fault evictions in the King’s Speech earlier this week, we are seriously concerned that these won’t be abolished fully until reforms to the court system take place, which may take years. 

“Tenants must not be punished because the courts aren’t functioning properly. The Government must give struggling renters the protections they need to ensure more and more people aren’t pushed into homelessness.

“Ahead of the Autumn Statement, we urgently need the Westminster Government to invest in housing benefit so that people across Great Britain can afford even the cheapest of rents. On top of this, it’s vital they set out a plan to deliver the social homes we so desperately need.”