More than 50 MPs, community leaders, trade unions and housing experts call on the Government to increase support for renters as hundreds of thousands of tenants fall into arrears since onset of COVID-19

23^rd November 2020

Hundreds of thousands of renters across Britain have fallen into rental arrears since the outbreak of COVID-19. With the threat of eviction becoming ever more likely, meaningful and decisive action must be taken to better support tenants at a time when the economy is at its most precarious and COVID cases are on the rise across the country. That is the message being sent to the government by a group of MPs, Peers, Council Leaders, local Councillors, trade unions and housing charities.

In a letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, the group urges the government to immediately extend the ban on residential evictions until 30 April 2021; increase Local Housing Allowance for a period of 12 months; and scrap the punitive five week wait for first time Universal Credit claimants. Signatories include the former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP and former Chair of the Labour Party, Ian Lavery MP.

The letter, which supports similar calls from housing and homeless charities, highlights how the economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and the growing rate of unemployment is forcing huge numbers of private tenants into an untenable financial situation.

Margaret Greenwood MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and MP for Wirral West said: "It is a matter of extreme concern that so many private tenants have fallen into arrears since the start of the pandemic.

"People are facing huge levels of uncertainty and many will be worried about how they will be able to keep a roof over their heads. The government must get a grip of the situation and act fast to keep people in their homes.

"It must extend the ban on residential evictions, increase Local Housing Allowance and get rid of the five week wait in Universal Credit. People are facing real hardship. It is vital the government acts swiftly."

The letter, coordinated by Unite South-East Community, warns that unless the government acts, the worst is yet to come in terms of evictions with hundreds of thousands more tenants falling into arrears and becoming increasingly exposed and vulnerable.

Other notable signatories include House of Lords peer, Baroness Uddin, former Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Dan Carden MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Andrew Gwynne MP, former Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tony Lloyd MP, the Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Louise Gittins, the Executive Leader of Tameside Council, Brenda Warrington, the Leader of Crawley Borough Council, Peter Lamb and Sarah Carpenter, Regional Secretary of South East Region at Unite the Union.

Cal Corkery, Councillor on Portsmouth City Council and Labour Group spokesperson for Housing and Community Safety, said: “We know that the ending of a private sector tenancy is one of the leading causes of homelessness. Unless the government moves quickly to provide meaningful support for renters then it seems increasingly likely that we'll see a tsunami of evictions.

“No one should lose their home as a result of this pandemic and we are calling on the government to ensure renters get the protection they need."

Unite South East

Campaigns

I want to join

I'm a member