[DPAC is one of the many organisations supporting this letter]
‘Not too late’ to stop eviction deluge, say Big Issue, Shelter and others in joint letter
A growing alliance of housing organisations, politicians, trade unions,
Black Lives Matter and anti-racism campaigns and others have written to
the Prime Minister today, calling for urgent Government intervention to
avoid escalating evictions and homelessness.
The letter says ‘Government can still act to avert the pending disaster
facing tens of thousands of renters across the UK. It’s not too late
to step back from the brink, and ensure no-one loses their home due to
the Coronavirus crisis.’
Ministers currently plan to lift their ban on legal evictions from 23
August. The Scottish parliament this week extended the ban on eviction
in Scotland until March 2021.
Today’s Homes for All letter is co-signed by the Big Issue homeless
campaign magazine, housing charity Shelter, Generation Rent and other
tenant and renters groups, film maker Ken Loach, John McDonnell MP, the
Green Party, anti-racism campaigners, academics and many other groups
and individuals.
See full letter and signatories:
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/OpenLetter_addednames130820.pdf
Eileen Short of Homes for All says: ‘Ministers need to act immediately,
as politicians have in Scotland, to head off a tidal wave of further
evictions and homelessness. Government promised no one would lose their
homes due to Covid – now housing and justice activists are calling in
that promise.’
Note
* Picture of Eileen Short posting the letter:
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/20200814_142035-scaled.jpg
* An emergency meeting of those supporting the Open Letter is planned to
work out next steps to prevent a worsening housing disaster.
I am suprised that DPAC seems to have been silent on the issue of the legacy benefit claimants being denied the £20 a week increase. Most of the 2 million legacy claimants are on ESA. Which I would have thought would have been of direct concern to DPAC. This is extra money that might well help to avoid some of these evictions.
unfortunately this can’t be legally challenged and politicians of all parties don’t seem concerned by it.