Alliance in call to protect renters from eviction and build more homes

AN ALLIANCE has been formed to protect renters from eviction and keep people in jobs and housing in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

Lord John Bird, founder of The Big Issue magazine, launched the initiative with a warning that hundreds of thousands of people face the misery of homelessness without Government action.

Job creation and social house building should be at the cornerstone of the recovery, he said.

The so-called Ride Out Recession Alliance, supported by Shelter, Generation Rent, Unilever and the National Skills Agency, called on the Government to implement preventative measures, including keeping a ban on evictions until the law is changed to protect renters from losing their home due to coronavirus.

Ministers were also urged to launch a rescue package to stimulate the economy, including a new era of social home building.

The alliance is also seeking job training and Government-sponsored investment in companies to provide decent employment opportunities.

Lord Bird said it was imperative that the ban on evictions is extended beyond the end of August, while magistrates should be given the power to refuse to issue eviction notices involving anyone affected by Covid-19.

He said: “This is about making sure we don’t condemn hundreds of thousands of people to homelessness.

“We have to support the Government in carrying out its historic task to keep people in work and in their homes.

“This will be a cost-saving exercise, because it is far more expensive to deal with homelessness than working to prevent it.

“The Government has to invest in businesses so they can keep people in work and create the many jobs we need in the NHS, education, environment and new technology.”