Council calls for ban on no-fault evictions amid housing crisis

A council warns more people could be pushed into temporary accommodation without urgent action from the government.

Colchester City Council has written to Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner urging the government to take action to tackle the housing crisis.

The council is calling on the government to ban no-fault evictions and offer more support to councils to tackle homelessness.

Ban no-fault evictions

The council warns with rising mortgage and rent costs many people including renters are being forced into homelessness or temporary accommodation.

Colchester City Council is calling on the government to make the Renters’ Rights Bill a priority in Parliament to ban no-fault evictions.

Other measures include adjusting housing benefits to match current rent levels, ensuring rent stays affordable for the most vulnerable.

The council is also calling for increased support to help manage the rising costs and demands of preventing homelessness, along with freezing the Right to Buy scheme to ease pressure on social housing stock.

Welcome promises of reform

Cllr David King, Leader of Colchester City Council, said: “We welcome promises of reform and ask the new government to act on our, or similar calls for action. We will play our part, supportive of their growth and housing aims. But we need infrastructure support, and for the government to make it viable for us to improve our housing stock and to also provide yet more affordable homes.”

“Colchester City Council has also committed to working closely with neighbouring authorities and local MPs, including Pam Cox, Sir Bernard Jenkin, and Priti Patel, to ensure housing remains a priority issue for the region. The council’s message is clear: housing is at the forefront of local concerns, and immediate government action is needed.”

The council is also asking the government to address council housing stock and finances by working with the All-Party Parliamentary Group Inquiry to ease the financial burden on local authorities, allowing them to reinvest in housing while managing the rising costs of regulation, repairs, and environmental modernisation.