DISTRICT COUNCILS NETWORK ON EVICTION BAN EXTENSION

Responding to the Government’s four-week further extension to the eviction ban, Cllr Giles Archibald, DCN Better Lives spokesperson, said:

“The Government is right to have granted this extension, which will move thousands of struggling tenants away from the cliff edge of becoming homeless.

“This is an issue we raised in May. The extension is welcome but we must use this time to put in place a plan for when the ban is lifted, because it cannot stay in place forever. Nearly half a million households who spend over half their income on private rent are at most risk of eviction as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“For now those families can rest assured they won’t lose their homes. In the meantime government needs to work with councils to develop a plan to support tenants and landlords for once it is lifted.”