Shelter warns of “terrible winter of evictions”

Shelter warns of “terrible winter of evictions”

0:03 AM, 15th November 2023, About 11 months ago 9

Text Size

More than 815,000 private renters are under threat of eviction this winter, according to new research by Shelter.

The housing charity reveals private renters in England are fearing the worst, with 3.5 million tenants (43%) saying they are now worried about becoming homeless due to housing costs.

Shelter is calling on the government to unfreeze the local housing allowance to help tenants this winter.

Terrible winter of evictions

To calculate how many people are threatened with losing their home this winter, the charity looked at the number of private renting adults who have received or been threatened with an eviction notice in the last month (474,000), as well as the number of tenants who are behind on their rent (411,000), which puts their home in danger.

According to the Shelter study, more than three in ten tenants (31%) – equivalent to 2.5 million adults – have borrowed money in order to pay their rent.

The research also reveals one in seven (14%) – equivalent to 1.1 million adults – have had their rent put up in the last month.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter said: “A terrible winter of evictions lies ahead as millions of renters’ grapple with runaway rents and the enduring cost of living crisis.

“Every day our frontline teams take more calls from families living the nightmare of rent rises they cannot afford, every day we speak to more families facing the horror of losing their home.”

Unfreeze local housing allowance

The housing charity is urging the government to unfreeze the local housing allowance which has been frozen for nearly four years.

Shelter argues the severe lack of affordable social homes means that millions of struggling households are trapped trying to pay record-high rents and keep a roof over their heads.

Ms Neate added: “With private rents rising faster than many people can cope with, the government must pull families back from the brink of homelessness by immediately unfreezing housing benefit so they can pay their rent and keep hold of their home.”


Share This Article


Comments

Jo Westlake

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

11:36 AM, 15th November 2023, About 11 months ago

Those figures lack credibility.
If 43% of tenants are worried about the risk of eviction that's almost entirely down to the activists whipping up hysteria.

The 411000 tenants who are behind with their rent needs closer examination. Are the arrears because they choose to spend their money on other things or because they can't be bothered to apply for Discretionary Housing Payments or Hardship funds? There is help out there but they have to make the effort to apply for it.

Rent should be the number one priority so are people actually borrowing money to pay the rent or pay for the lower priority things in life such as Netflix, Deliveroo or cigarettes?

As September is the busiest month for new rentals it makes sense a large number of people would have a rent increase on the anniversary of their tenancy agreement. Something to do with only being able to increase rent once a year perhaps.

The LHA is woefully inadequate and desperately needs to be increased. Although other funding such as DHPs is available for low income households accessing it does effectively turn them into beggars. We need to remember a great many UC recipients are essential workers doing vital work especially in the care industry. The housing element of UC needs to be realistic.

The cost of Social Housing also needs to be examined. How many Local Authorities and Social Housing providers are currently in dire financial straits? Haven't a few gone bankrupt? Is that because Social rents are too low?

Reluctant Landlord

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

12:20 PM, 15th November 2023, About 11 months ago

they think its bad now....just wait till it gets nearer to Election Day and if it looks like Labour will win...

I'll have got all my S21 notices printed off and ready to send out....

I might just mention it in passing to the tenants - they might be tempted not to vote red as a result maybe???

andrew miller

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

13:22 PM, 15th November 2023, About 11 months ago

what do you expect when you exist to just bash the PRS !

NewYorkie

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

15:33 PM, 15th November 2023, About 11 months ago

Anyone served with a valid S21 today, is unlikely to be evicted much before Christmas 2024!

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the most basic human survival needs include food and water, sufficient rest, clothing and shelter, overall health, and reproduction. Maslow states that these basic physiological needs must be addressed before humans move on to the next level of fulfillment. Deliveroo, gambling apps, booze and fags are way up the pyramid!
Worth mentioning, wages rose by 7.7% in August.

Freda Blogs

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

16:32 PM, 15th November 2023, About 11 months ago

Don't worry Polly, once the private sector LLs have exited the PRS following implementation of S21, there will be very few properties available for rent, so the number of evictions will diminish, and you will be proven correct. However, homeless people will be queuing around the corner and beyond, and that pain, for so many families and individuals, will be largely down to you.
I wonder if you can sleep at nights for all the distress that you are creating?

GlanACC

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

8:49 AM, 17th November 2023, About 11 months ago

I would be interested in the sample size that they use to get their stats, bearing in mind that thate only people Shelter usually deal with are those that have a complaint against the landlord. Do they have a survey team that goes out knocking on doors or canvassing in the street. Where an earth do they get the 43% from ?

NewYorkie

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

10:05 AM, 17th November 2023, About 11 months ago

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 17/11/2023 - 08:49It's about asking the right questions to get the answers they want, who they ask, and how they describe the results.

Do you think your rent is too high? Yes! 100% of tenants say their rent is too high!

PAUL BARTLETT

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

13:21 PM, 20th November 2023, About 11 months ago

Since government controls the mortgage finance costs through Monetary Policy Committee and the Section 24 Pretend that costs are profits tax and the don't build social housing approach the need to raise LHA is an obvious consequence of 15 consecutive base rate increases. Government has done it's best to make landlords bare the cost with only one Section 13 increase per year but the exodus is still possible to safeguard our business and funds.
Once we are gone government is fully responsible for the housing crisis that they made.

PAUL BARTLETT

Become a Member

If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!

Sign Up

20:23 PM, 2nd December 2023, About 10 months ago

Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 15/11/2023 - 15:33
"Worth mentioning, wages rose by 7.7% in August"
Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics.
That might be an average across all private companies that are profitable so can afford to offset inflation, but within that average are many that will be no or little increase within stressed businesses. For example a property business that is subject to rising costs outside its' control such that it's actually making a loss. Not an 'edge case' rather built into the Average by definition...

Leave Comments

In order to post comments you will need to Sign In or Sign Up for a FREE Membership

or

Don't have an account? Sign Up

Landlord Automated Assistant Read More