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10:13 AM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago 12
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The homeless charity Shelter is warning that one in 12 private renters in England is threatened with eviction.
The charity says that is the equivalent of 941,000 people.
The results of polling, funded by Nationwide Building Society, found that of the renters at risk of eviction, 504,000 had received, or been threatened with, an eviction notice in the last month.
That’s up 80% on the same period last year, and, the charity says, 482,000 tenants are behind on their rent which will put their home in danger.
Shelter is warning that the government’s failure to unfreeze housing benefit in its Autumn Statement ‘ignores the rental crisis that is unfolding’ and will result in rising homelessness this winter.
The charity points to ‘record high rents’ and soaring living costs which means that the fear of being made homeless is a danger for millions of renters in the private rental sector.
The charity’s research also reveals:
A quarter of private renters – equivalent to 2.8 million people – are constantly struggling to pay their rent, an increase of 24% compared to the same period last year
More than two thirds (69%) of private renters – equivalent to 7.7 million people – would struggle to find a suitable home this winter if they were evicted.
Now Shelter is calling on the public to support its frontline services with staff working seven days a week to help as many people as they can to ‘keep hold of a safe home’.
Polly Neate, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Almost a million private renters are at risk of being of being kicked out of their home this winter, and more will follow.
“Every day our emergency helpline advisers are taking gut-wrenching calls – from the mum who’s skipping meals to pay the rent, to the family terrified they will be spending Christmas in a grotty homeless hostel.”
She added: “The government’s refusal to unfreeze housing benefit, when private rents are rising at record rates, means the rental crisis is fast becoming a homelessness emergency.
“At Shelter, we are doing all we can to help people keep the bailiffs at bay, but we’ve got our work cut out.”
In response to Shelter’s research on repossessions in the private rented sector, Chris Norris, the policy director at the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The vast majority of landlords want to help tenants stay in their homes wherever possible.
“However, the government needs to do more to support those most in need of help. This should include unfreezing housing benefit rates.
“It is simply absurd that support for housing costs is being linked to rents as they were three years ago, not as they are today.”
He added: “Ministers need also to address the supply crisis in the rental market.
“Recent tax hikes have served only to cut the number of homes available to rent, whilst demand continues to remain strong. All this is doing is driving rents up and making homes harder to access.”
Mr Norris continued: “We are working with the government to ensure the system that replaces Section 21 repossessions is fair and workable for responsible landlords as well as tenants.
“This needs to include ensuring landlords can effectively tackle the problem of anti-social tenants and those building substantial rent arrears.”
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JB
12:06 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
So the government thinks paying for B&B is cheaper than increasing housing benefit?
Of course assisting non paying tenants to continue living in private landlords properties free of charge is even cheaper
Martin Roberts
12:11 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
The real shame is that people donating to Shelter believe they are providing housing or, er, shelter.
NewYorkie
15:44 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
Let's address the Mammoth in the room! It may be an uncomfortable truth, which organisations such as Shelter don't want to consider, but illegal migration and asylum seekers are a massive drain on the social housing sector, and increasingly, the private sector.
OrangeGrouse
16:09 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
Reply to the comment left by JB at 01/12/2022 - 12:06
Maybe we should be getting into B&B!
dismayed landlord
17:05 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
Where is the basis of these figures?
How many homes ar shelter providing?
What is their budget? How many rents would that pay for!
Dylan Morris
18:53 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
The Government’s Freeze For Ukraine policy doesn’t help.
Martin Roberts
19:36 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
Reply to the comment left by dismayed landlord at 01/12/2022 - 17:05
Shelter income: about £63,000,000 annually.
Homes provided: nil.
Harry
21:25 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
Reply to the comment left by Martin Roberts at 01/12/2022 - 19:36
Hi Martin,
it would be helpful if you could back this statement up with some 'proof' where can we find this information, so that we can give Shelter some Sxxt !
Martin Roberts
22:06 PM, 1st December 2022, About A year ago
https://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do/how_we_spend_your_money
Coops
8:10 AM, 3rd December 2022, About A year ago
Shelter - be careful of what you wish for!
Oh sorry, too late!
You have been targeting the private rental sector for years without good cause. You should of been embracing the efforts of good private landlords. If a business is not viable, it will fail. By continuous bashing of landlords you have indirectly made many tenants homeless.
If homes are not up to standard, local councils are obliged to enforce improvements. Further funds need to be allocated to councils so they can improve the services that they are obliged to offer. What efforts do shelter direct to obtaining much needed extra funding for the local councils?
If shelter truely want to be classed as a homeless charity, it should look to work with the private rental sector to build a sustainable private rental sector, not go to war with it.