The Big Issue has revealed today (19 July) that a UK household was evicted every 3 ½ hours in the first quarter of 2021, despite emergency measures put in place to stop this from happening.
The Big Issue has asked Campaign Collective to help tackle this crucial issue, as part of a ‘Stop Mass Homelessness’ campaign. Campaign Collective is providing support on social media & PR, raising awareness amongst politicians, and encouraging members of the public to get involved.
The damning statistic comes from a new analysis published in the magazine today, as it warned of a housing crisis in the autumn.
Campaign Collective hopes that the campaign will encourage people to put pressure on local politicians to ensure the government introduces measures to prevent the biggest housing crisis in a lifetime.
The story by The Big Issue points to a number of factors at play in the brewing housing crisis, including the reversal of the Universal Credit £20 lift, an end to the furlough scheme, an increase in evictions and repossessions, and the predicted increase in electricity and gas prices.
The Big Issue called on the government to take action through a 9-point plan, which includes long term proposals, as opposed to just temporary measures introduced during the peak of the pandemic, when the government put over 37,000 homeless people into accommodation during the first lockdown.
The proposals include interest-free loans to repay arrears and suspending no-fault evictions until a Renters’ Reform Act can be passed. There are also long term proposals to ensure preventing homelessness is sustainable, such as improving financial literacy education and increasing support for ethical property and letting firms.
Even though measures were taken during the lockdown, the economic aftermath of Covid will be felt for years to come, with the number of private renters getting Universal Credit doubling during the start of the pandemic. Addressing this issue now will potentially save thousands of households facing homelessness from the fallout of coronavirus, which is of no fault of their own.
To read the full story, and show your support, including signing a petition and putting yourself forward as a stop mass homelessness ‘champion’ for your local area, please visit: www.bigissue.com/stop-mass-homelessness.