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London Councils warns of evictions ‘avalanche’ after suspension
Local authority homelessness services could face dealing with the fallout from an “avalanche” of evictions once coronavirus protections are lifted, London Councils has warned.
Ministers have extended the notice period for housing possessions to three months, while the courts have suspended all eviction cases.
Evictions in both the social and private rented sectors are therefore effectively frozen, with the measures currently set to last until late June.
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London Councils, which represents all 33 local authorities across the capital, said the economic impacts of the pandemic could see more people made homeless at that point, while others will need to flee domestic violence.
The organisation is speaking to the government about ways to increase the already severely limited supply of social housing to cope with the likely surge in evictions.
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Darren Rodwell, executive member for housing and planning at London Councils and leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said: “In this emergency situation, with the government giving councils new powers and resources, we’ve made rapid progress in finding suitable accommodation for homeless Londoners.
“But this progress must be sustained. We’re concerned about a potential avalanche of evictions once the government ban comes to an end.
“Boroughs are keenly aware that the economic impact of COVID-19 is putting many more Londoners at high risk of homelessness, and that we could also see an increase in those fleeing violence at home when lockdown measures are eased.
“We’re facing a probable spike in homelessness, so boroughs are working with the government and other partners to find solutions as a matter of urgency.”
Boosting the number of available social homes will be “key” to the next stage of the coronavirus response, he added.
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