Homelessness: Coronavirus

(asked on 20th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households have been made homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what additional support they have offered to those households, in particular to families, which have been made homeless as a result of the pandemic.


Answered by
Lord Greenhalgh Portrait
Lord Greenhalgh
This question was answered on 29th January 2021

The Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head.

The Government is spending over £700 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping this financial year, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to end rough sleeping and fully enforce the Homelessness Reduction Act. This includes £263 million to local authorities to fulfil their statutory homelessness duties which includes activity to prevent homelessness and providing temporary accommodation for those who are in priority need, unintentionally homeless and eligible for assistance.

In addition, the Government has taken significant action to keep people in their homes. Landlords are required to provide 6-months' notice before seeking repossession except in the most serious cases such as anti-social behaviour, fraud and egregious rent arrears. This means that most renters served notice today will not have to leave until July, with time to find alternative support or accommodation. We have also taken steps in England to ensure bailiffs do not enforce evictions, except in the most serious circumstances. This legislation will be in place until at least to the end of 21 February when it will be reviewed.

This is on top of the unprecedented resources already committed to councils since the start of the pandemic, including over £4.6 billion in un-ringfenced grants, the Contain Outbreak Management Fund and additional funding for authorities to support care homes, high streets and the most vulnerable in their communities.

Relevant data for the period April – June 2020 can be found (attached) here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statutory-homelessness-in-england-april-to-june-2020

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