A charity is claiming that new powers to evict anti-social private tenants could lead to more homelessness, while those already living on the streets could be criminalised.
Yesterday the government announced that landlords and agents acting on their behalf were to be given more powers to evict unruly tenants who ruin neighbours’ lives through persistent noise or by being drunk and disorderly.
Although there were few details in the government’s statement, this would appear to be one of the few recent policy decisions to support the wishes of lettings sector trade bodies who expressed concern that with the anticipated abolition of Section 21, landlords would have difficulties evicting anti social tenants in HMOs in particular.
But now homelessness charity Crisis has issued a stark warning that the new proposals “risk punishing people sleeping on the streets and could drive them further from support.”
Crisis has long campaigned for the abolition of S21 and a reduction in eviction powers for landlords and agents, and now it claims that those under the new measures those who already living on the streets “could be subject to police action if they ask for money, food or shelter.”
While the charity has welcomed the intention to crack down on criminal gangs who exploit people to beg, it says it fears people forced to rough sleep risk being labelled a ‘nuisance’ simply for having nowhere else to go.
In 2021 the government pledged to scrap the Vagrancy Act, which makes it a criminal offence to sleep rough in England and Wales, after sustained campaigning from Crisis and other homelessness charities. However, the act remains in force and Crisis argues that the plans outlined in the new measures risk replacing the Vagrancy Act in all but name.
Chief executive Matt Downie says: “It cannot be understated how traumatic, dangerous and dehumanising life on the streets is. For the thousands enduring this right now, every day is a struggle to survive as people battle the elements, abuse and isolation.
“While we need to see the full details, labelling destitute people a nuisance and threatening to move people on is not the answer to tackling rough sleeping. It’s incredibly disappointing to see the Government resorting to this rhetoric at a time when rough sleeping numbers are once again surging as the rising cost of living pushes more people into poverty.
“The solutions are simple. If we built more affordable housing, funded support services and invested in housing benefit so people can pay their rent we could end rough sleeping for good, which is a commitment the government itself has made and shouldn’t need reminding of. Dressing the Vagrancy Act up in new clothes is not the answer – all this will do is criminalise and punish the poorest in society.
“We urge the government to stick to its plan to scrap this archaic, destructive law and focus on getting people the support they need so no one is forced to sleep on our streets.”
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So how would the members of Crisis feel if they had tenants living next to them shouting, swearing, behaving anti-socially, possibly dealing drugs and generally having no regard for their neighbours or surrounding property?
Wait until S21 is removed. Tenants on benefits, or looking to secure benefits, will be shunned by cautious landlords. Those on threshold affordability, in insecure work, etc will increasingly be declined by landlords and their agents as the market has to become more cautious as the inevitable backlog at the courts deepens much further. The PRS will keep running but it's the most vulnerable who will be excluded and marginalised as Landlords simply won't be able to adopt the risk involved.
Those petitioning have been warned of these impacts but these have been largely dismissed as 'self interest'- be it on their heads when everything we have warned comes to fruition. All so that maybe 5% of the market get the security they want from rented accommodation.
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