Eviction extension 'does not go far enough' say local activists - The Redditch Standard

Eviction extension 'does not go far enough' say local activists

Redditch Editorial 22nd Aug, 2020 Updated: 22nd Aug, 2020   0

A FOUR week extension to the government’s ‘no eviction’ policy for tenants does not go far enough, says Redditch Labour.

It comes after the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick pushed a stay of evictions for tenants who cannot pay their rent due to coronavirus to September 20.

Mr Jenrick also announced he was extending the notice period to be given to tenants to six months.

The ban had been due to expire on Monday, August 24, and as that date approached it sparked growing warnings of widespread evictions.




The government had introduced the measure in March as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country but Mr Jenrick said it was right that from September 20 eviction cases involving the likes of anti social behaviour and domestic violence should once again be heard in the courts.

However Redditch Labour said a survey by homelessness charity Shelter and other groups predicted more than 250,000 tenants in England and Wales in the private rented sector are at, or will be by October, facing court proceedings to evict them.


Redditch has some 4,000 properties in the private rented sector.

The Scottish Government recently extended the stay on evictions to March 2021 and locally Labour says it believes this, if brought in to England and Wales, would give tenants more time to rearrange their finances to begin paying off their debt.

A spokesperson said: “Many tenants have been put under pressure financially during Covid due to furlough and redundancies and the threat of eviction will put more pressure on local authorities to provide emergency housing.

“Rather than a piecemeal approach to this problem, an extension to next year will allow time for a joined-up approach to deal with a looming housing crisis that will benefit, not only tenants, but landlords who have been affected.”

Online Editions

Catch up on your local news by reading our e-editions on the Redditch Standard.

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Redditch Standard.

Buy Photos

Buy photos online from the Redditch Standard newspaper.

Podcasts

Now, every week, you can also listen to a roundup of Redditch Standard Local News.