The Brighton Branch of ACORN has sent demands regarding protection for renters, lodgers and mortgage holders to Brighton and Hove City Council and iHowz (formerly the Southern Landlords Association).
On Tuesday 2nd June ACORN Brighton, a community union representing hundreds of low-income people in Brighton and Hove, demanded that Brighton and Hove City Council and iHowz use their considerable influence on landlords to provide protection for tenants in Brighton and Hove. These demands are:
- A moratorium on evictions for 6 months or for as long as needed to protect the public health from coronavirus
- An immediate and permanent end to the use of Section 21 of the Housing Act (which allows ‘no fault’ evictions)
- A rent waiver for the duration of the crisis meaning that any arrears accrued as a result of the crisis cannot be expected or included in any future grounds for eviction
- Starting the process for any paused evictions from scratch once the ban on court proceedings has lifted
- Extend the current moratorium on eviction to lodgers
ACORN Brighton has also demanded Brighton and Hove City Council urge landlords they are able to contact (such as those who hold HMO licences) to meet these demands.
Craig Arden, Joint-Branch Secretary of ACORN Brighton said:
“Renters across the country are facing an unprecedented housing crisis due to no fault of their own. Many of our members were already living in precarious housing conditions, especially those on low incomes. Now they are facing reduced hours, reduced incomes and in some cases, unemployment. Unless action is taken soon, this will inevitably lead to a surge in homelessness and child poverty which is simply unacceptable.
“The Government must do more to protect tenants and lodgers and we will continue to lobby them to do so. However, landlords also have a role to play in this and we’re asking iHowz, as the largest landlords association in the city to use their influence, to protect the most vulnerable in society and keep a roof over their heads.
“We’re also calling on Brighton & Hove City Council to use their influence and urge landlords in the city to do the right thing. The two largest parties on the council (Labour and the Greens) stood on a manifesto of reducing homelessness and providing more council housing. Now is the time for them to step up and fight for renters in our city.”
About one in five families across the UK live in private rented tenancies, with a similar proportion in social housing. As well as expanded social security and income support, on 18 March 2020, the government announced a three month suspension of evictions. These announcements came after strong pressure from ACORN and other unions. Whilst the move was welcomed as necessary, it did not go far enough and, as the deadline approaches, exposes millions of renters to debt and eviction.
Polling shows six in ten renters have suffered losses to their income, with many left out of government support schemes or not receiving enough to cover rent and other essentials such as food in a situation where already 43% of social tenants and 37% of private renters were living in poverty. While homeowners and landlords are able to take advantage of mortgage holidays, rent is still due from tenants. Moreover, the government’s recent guidelines have clarified that landlords can issue eviction notices to renters who enter into rent debt.
ACORN Brighton member Aisling Murray had this to say: ‘I haven’t left the house in over 80 days because I’ve got a lung and heart disease and an autoimmune condition, so I haven’t been able to find a job, so I can’t afford to rent. I’ve had to move in with my family so we can pool our resources, but because of my health conditions it means my family has to shield me, so they’re not able to work either and it’s an absolute nightmare. It’s clear the Conservative government doesn’t want renters to survive this pandemic. It’s absolute hell for renters at the moment’
Later this month, ACORN Brighton is planning to host an online public meeting with local MPs and councillors for the Housing is Health campaign. Further details to be confirmed.
