More people at risk of becoming homeless

More Mid Sussex households were threatened with homelessness through nofault evictions last autumn than before the pandemic, new figures show.

Despite a recent pledge from the Government to scrap them, landlords are still able to evict tenants through a section 21 notice, which can provide tenants with as little as eight weeks’ notice to leave – sometimes without reason – once the fixed term in their tenancy agreement expires.

Housing campaigners say ‘no-fault’ evictions have contributed to worsening homelessness in the UK.

Data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shows 15 households in Mid Sussex were made homeless or put at risk of homelessness between October and

December last year after being served with section 21 notices.

This was an increase from thesixhouseholdsthreatened with homelessness for the same reason in October to December of 2019.

Across England, 5,260 households faced homelessness due to no-fault evictions in the last three months of 2021 – a 37 pre cent rise compared to 2019.

The charity Shelter has described no-fault evictions as ‘blunt, brutal and indiscriminate’.

Chief executive Polly Neate said: “If landlords follow the process, as it stands they can turf people out of their homes for no reason – and tenants are powerless to do anything about it.”

ThesameGovernmentdata shows, in total, 51 households were found to be homeless in Mid Sussex between October and December. This compares to 56 households assessed as homeless over the same period in 2019.

Of those already understood to be homeless, 24 found accommodation last autumn.

Alicia Kennedy, director of the housing campaign group Generation Rent, said a booming property market is to blame for an increase in evictions nationally.

“With house prices and rents surging, landlords have been cashing in by selling up or replacing their tenants with people who can afford to pay more.”

According to the same figures, 8,530 households in England were supported by councils last autumn because their landlord was evicting them to sell or re-let the property – including 20 households in Mid Sussex.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it was bringing forward reforms to help renters, including ending no-fault evictions.