Waverley braced for a rise in homeless applications

Waverley Borough Council is bracing itself for a steep rise in applications for housing once the government's anti-eviction legislation ends later this month.

A Waverley spokesperson told Nub News that the authority was anticipating a rise in the number of approaches from people and families made homeless once landlords are able to evict tenants who have built up rent arrears during lockdown.

From September 21st onward, landlords will be able to commence legal action to remove tenants who have failed to pay rent over the last six months.

Campaigners are now warning that thousands of tenants could find themselves in court because they have fallen into rent arrears after losing their jobs, being furloughed or shielding during the pandemic.

However, delays due to the sheer numbers caught up in the backlog of cases could see any reposession action pushed back for several months.

Social distancing guidelines also mean the courts will be able to hear fewer cases, which could by default give a temporary stay of execution to tenants facing eviction.

Waverley said in a statement: "Waverley Borough Council tackles homelessness within the borough primarily by focusing on preventative strategies that support and help people to remain in suitable accommodation. "The council therefore welcomed the legislation to prevent evictions, which was brought in at the commencement of lockdown – although we appreciate this may also have created financial difficulties for some landlords. "We anticipate the council will see an increase in homeless approaches when the restriction is lifted. "The actual number of households made homeless will be determined by a number of factors, including what conditions will be placed on landlords and the courts before evictions can be sanctioned, and also the physical capacity of the courts to process possession claims whilst adhering to social distancing guidelines. "The council will continue to help and support our residents threatened with homelessness. Much of this work includes advising tenants of the welfare benefits they may be eligible to, and encouraging them to approach their landlord to see if realistic repayment arrangements can be made. "This is often in the interests of both parties, because landlords may avoid additional loss of income and the tenants avoid the considerable stress and upheaval of homelessness. "Where individual circumstances make this impossible, we work very hard to get people into alternative accommodation that meets their needs, such as private rented or supported accommodation. "Our Housing Needs Team has, through careful management, built up a small reserve of the Flexible Homelessness Support Grant funding we have received from Government, since it was introduced in 2017. While our response to Covid-19 has already seen us draw on this, we expect it to enable us to continue to meet our statutory homelessness duties, despite what will potentially be a challenging period over the next few months." Phil Davies, chief executive of Waverley Citizens Advice Bureau, said: "We're really pleased the government has stepped in to keep its promise that no renter will lose their home because of the coronavirus pandemic - for now at least. "During this extended pause on new eviction proceedings, we hope the government will work with Citizens Advice and others to put in place a series of protections which will help those who've built up rent arrears get back on their feet. "We'd like to see funding for a dedicated set of protections, including measures such as grants for those in arrears due to coronavirus. "This would not only directly help those affected, but also contribute towards consumer confidence and the economic recovery."