Chartered Institute of Housing 2020: Housing Minister's speech

Yesterday’s speech from the Housing Minister at the Chartered Institute’s Housing 2020 Festival

Homelessness and evictions ban

Nearly 15,000 vulnerable people, including rough sleepers and the homeless, were housed in emergency accommodation at the start of this pandemic.

And we are building on these achievements through funding longer-term accommodation – 3,300 homes this year alone – along with tailored support so as few people as possible return to life on the streets.

Last month, we also announced additional protections for renters with a further stay on all housing possession proceedings in court.

That means that no action to progress new or existing claims for possession can be progressed for several weeks. 

Thanks to new legislation we brought forward in August, landlords are also required to give 6 months’ notice to evict any tenant (private or social) – up from the 3 months required by the original provisions in the Coronavirus Act – except in the most serious of cases.

We also recognise that there are some occasions in which it is right that landlords should be able to start progressing cases quicker.

Through working with the Master of the Rolls’ working group, we’ve identified these types of cases which present the most strain for landlords.

Notice periods for the most serious circumstances, including notices in relation to anti-social behaviour and where over 6 months of rent is due, have therefore been reduced.

We are also working closely with the judiciary, legal representatives and the advisory sector to help courts offer appropriate protection for all parties once the stay on possession proceedings ends.

And we remain committed, once the urgencies of responding to this pandemic have passed, to bring forward legislation which would abolish Section 21 evictions altogether.

Our measures will ensure that struggling households in both the private and social rented sector are not forced from their homes as we head into winter, keeping them safe and preventing extra burden falling on the NHS….

Because we cannot be complacent about the scale of the challenge ahead of us in this national recovery.

And it’s right that we help families, communities and businesses to continue adapting to the ‘new normal’ and the realities of COVID-19…

But I also believe that we should fully utilise the coming weeks and months as a window of opportunity to lay the foundations for long-term economic growth while also building the homes this country needs.