One in seven worried they will become homeless

A new survey has shown that as many as one in seven adults are worried about becoming homeless due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Carried out by homelessness charity Shelter, the research is adding to the increasing concerns that the government is not doing enough to protect renters from losing their homes.

Shelter found that 14 per cent of the 3,500 adults surveyed said the current economic situation had made them more worried about losing their homes – which when extrapolated to the wider population amounts to more than six million people.

Of private renters surveyed, 27 per cent said they were concerned about becoming homeless and that they had seen their income decrease in the last six months. One in four said they had had to borrow money in order to pay their rent and 18 per cent reported having to cut back on meals.

Campaigners warn that once the measure on six-month notice periods to evict tenants is lifted on 31 May, thousands of people will lose their homes, and are calling for the government to provide more financial support to tenants to ensure they can pay off their rent arrears.

Shelter’s frontline services data shows two-thirds of calls answered by its emergency helpline in the last year were from people already homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Thangam Debbonaire, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, said: “A decade of Conservative governments has weakened the foundations of our economy. As a result, we came into this crisis with too many people just a few steps away from homelessness. Renters have been barely considered throughout this crisis. The government promised that no-one will lose their home because of coronavirus, but holes in their so-called evictions ban mean thousands of people have been made homeless at the height of the pandemic. The government must strengthen the ban on evictions and deal with the growing arrears crisis.”