Southwark Council urges landlords not to evict tenants as housing crisis deepens

7 October 2020

Today, in World Homelessness Week, Southwark Council is writing to thousands of private landlords across the borough, urging them not to evict people at this time of great uncertainty, with COVID cases on the increase and unemployment rising, and as the country faces a deepening housing crisis.

Southwark Council is London’s largest local authority social landlord, managing 55,000 properties. When private landlords evict tenants, it often falls to the council to house those who find themselves homeless. With economic instability after jobs were halted during lockdown, the council is seeing its waiting list for council housing increase, going from 10,000 to 13,000 in recent months. Sadly, rough sleeping is also beginning to increase, with 17 people sleeping outside, up from zero during the Everyone In initiative over full lockdown.

Whilst some funding has been made available from central government, it is in no way commensurate with the need in Southwark. The Government gave the council £33,000 to begin with for Everyone In, despite the service costing closer to £10m. The council was given a further £545,000 for services to those the authority cannot house under statutory duty – the majority of clients are vulnerable and many have no recourse to public funds. Last week, the Government offered a further £1m.

These three strands of funding are the only specific funding the council has received in regards to homelessness. As an authority, a larger package of £30m was made available, but that is expected to cover the full services for a huge London local authority – everything from adult and children’s social care (the lion’s share of costs), environmental measures, and all other housing services and lost income due to Covid-19 and lockdown. Once this funding is accounted for, the council still faces an estimated shortfall of £19.6m in 2020/21.

Councillor Helen Dennis, cabinet member for social support and homelessness, said: “What is desperately needed is long term, consistent and adequate funding from the Government to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping – particularly for those who we cannot lawfully support – and for the Government to make good on its pledge to cover our COVID related costs. As well as this, we need private landlords to play their part and keep a roof over tenants’ heads, and to help with the supply of homes for people as properties become empty. It should never happen that we see people becoming homeless, especially as we approach colder months, and the more difficult economic times ahead.”

As well as asking landlords to stop evictions (see PDF), the letter goes on to ask homeowners to take part in the council’s accreditation and guaranteed rent scheme, where both tenants and landlords alike can benefit from secure housing and consistent rent payments.

Alongside writing to property owners this week, the council attended a meeting of the APPG on Ending Homelessness on Monday. The local authority will continue to lobby the Government for sustainable funding for homelessness services, particularly for those affected by no recourse rules, which are trapping rough sleepers on the streets.

Page last updated: 14 October 2020