Photos from the Protest
Action: July 3rd 2021, London
Category Archives: News
Next General Meeting: Saturday 12th June, 2021
Topic: Homes 4 All General Meeting
Time: Jun 12, 2021 11:00 AM London
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82426578224
Meeting ID: 824 2657 8224
Agenda
1. #EndOurCladdingScandal showroom protest day report (5 June) and next steps
2. Grenfell 4th anniversary actions Monday14th June
3. Campaign Against Empty Homes Day of Action (2nd October) and local reports on empty homes
4. Evictions (moratorium ended 31 May?)
5. Cllr Diarmaid Ward will attend to discuss requisitioning
6. AOB
We look forward to seeing you there.
Join us to mark the 4th anniversary of the Grenfell fire
Local actions. If you know of any others taking place, please email or tweet @Homes4AllUK
Southwark Grenfell 4 Years Anniversary Vigil 6:30pm – 7pm Elephant Park marketing suite (Lendlease) https://fb.me/e/gbI6M0KT7
Haringey Grenfell Solidarity Vigil 18.30 at Haringey Civic Centre https://twitter.com/partridgebirdie/status/1404208676739719172?s=20 https://www.facebook.com/HDCHpage/
Manchester 12:30 – 13:00 St Peter’s Sq / Manchester Central Libraryhttps://twitter.com/McrClad…/status/1403673350451478534…
Liverpool Supporting Grenfell vigil St Lukes Bombed Out Church 6pm https://twitter.com/CllrAnn…/status/1403094500583542786…
Barking Grenfell Vigil 6:30pm – 7pm Samuel Garside House (grassy patch outside)Barking Riverside https://twitter.com/Doge977…/status/1403106456136830982…
Tower Hamlets Remember the Grenfell 72 5.30pm St John’s Church, 200 Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA https://www.facebook.com/events/168398331966069?ref=newsfeed
Milton Keynes, 6pm, Council Offices near the Library https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10225957248901474&id=1342452975
On Monday 14th June, Homes for All is calling for supporters to remember the 72 lives lost and to stand in solidarity with the survivors and bereaved of the Grenfell fire. This must never happen again.
We are asking people to join their friends, workmates, family and neighbours. Make a placard using the slogans below and bring a candle.
Where? Your protest or vigil could be at work, after college, at a developers’ showroom or town hall. It’s up to you.
The important thing is to come together, discuss how we can achieve our demands for justice and have a visible show of solidarity. Take photos and post them on social media.
#JusticeForGrenfell #DecentAndSafeHomesForAll #PeopleBeforeProfit
If you live near North Kensington please join the silent walk organised by Grenfell United.
Grenfell Silent Walk
Notting Hill Methodist Church
240 Lancaster Road, London W11 4AH
6.40pm, 14th June 2021
Press Release: Extend the Eviction Ban
PRESS RELEASE from Homes for All – 02/06/2021 for immediate release
Housing Campaign condemns the government’s heartless decision to end the eviction ban, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of homelessness
The Government’s announcement to end the ban on evictions on May 31st 2021 is now on course to plunge hundreds of thousands of private renters into homelessness
The pandemic has shown the extent to which extreme inequality in the UK can be measured through the indicators of insecure, unaffordable and unsafe housing. Shelter and other leading organisations have revealed that the wellbeing of many families has already been compromised in order to pay their rent.
It is essential that the government reverses its decision to end the eviction ban immediately if it is to avoid a massive crisis of homelessness over the coming months and over 100 organizations, campaigns, union representatives and leading spokespeople have signed a letter by the national housing campaign Homes for All calling for this.
John, Lord Bird, founder of The Big Issue, said:
“With the Eviction Ban ending, I fear what the coming months will bring. This is about making sure we don’t condemn hundreds of thousands of people to homelessness.
“It is key that the Government supports decent landlords by getting them back to profitability, whilst preventing mass evictions.
“Those who privately rent will have felt the brunt of Covid-inflicted job losses, falling incomes and rising debts in the past year. The government urgently needs a Covid Rent Debt Fund to clear these debts, get tenants back on their feet, and allow landlords to claim the income they’ve lost.
The Big Issue set up the Ride Out Recession Alliance in Spring 2020 to prevent mass homelessness caused by Covid-19 poverty and called for the Eviction Ban to be upheld. “
John McDonnell MP said:
“The government cannot just stand by and do nothing about the massive wave of evictions that we are now facing. Action is needed urgently to prevent this threatened dramatic rise in homelessness.”
Homes for All is a broad-based coalition campaigning for secure, safe and affordable housing for all and their letter to highlight this issue with nearly 150 signatures from leading union, campaign and political organisations is here: letter here.
Household Financial Crunch Data – A glimpse
| Striking Numbers £2,300 Average increase in debt and arrears since March 2020 among those who have fallen behind on bills or borrowed for essentials. -22.4% Change in outstanding credit card balances in year to January 2021. 360,000 Increase in unemployment in the year to January 2021. 6.8% Increase in average first-time buyer house price in the year to January 2021.Every Day in the UK £25 billion Amount of arrears and debt accumulated by 11.1 million households since March 2020 due to the financial pressures of the pandemic. 460,000 Number of private sector renters who were behind on their rent in January 2021, up from 230,000 in May 2020. 2.3 million Number of people falling behind on their broadband bill in November 2020. 7 in 10 Proportion of Universal Credit claimants seeking advice from Citizens Advice who have not previously made a benefits claim. Personal Debt in the UK People in the UK owed £1,700.2 billion at the end of January 2021. The average total debt per household, including mortgages, was £60,999 and per adult was £32,087, around 107.6% of average earnings. Net mortgage lending rose by £5.17 billion in the month, while net consumer credit lending fell by £2.79 billion. Citizens Advice Bureaux across England and Wales answered380,283 enquiries in February 2021, 9.5% down from February 2020.Mortgages, Rent & Housing Outstanding mortgage lending stood at £1,501 billion at the end of January 2021. The average mortgage interest rate was 2.09% at the end of January 2021. Based on this, households with mortgages would pay an average of £2,854 in mortgage interest over the year. HM Land Registry reports that the average house price for first-time buyers in Great Britain was £208,336 in January 2021, an annual increase of 6.8% and a monthly change of -0.6%. According to the Office for National Statistics, private rental prices in the UK rose by 1.4% in the 12 months to February 2021. |
| (All the above data brought to you by Money Advice Charity) |
Response from Housing Lead on Southampton City Council
This is a quick response from Housing lead on Southampton City Council –
she will be responding more fully – action on evictions:
- Suspended all debt recovery during lockdown 1 when there was so much uncertainty around Government support and delays to UC.
- We are contacting all our tenants to ensure those entitled to Discretionary Housing Payments are getting DHP, along with support with benefits to make sure they are claiming for everything they should be.
- We have set up a citywide joint working group with frontline services, including local charities and advice services, to make sure no one is falling through the gaps. If a group are, we are working on what we can do together to try and mitigate impact for them.
- Any debt policy is being co-design with local charities and advice services.
- We are taking a more bespoke approach to debt and people’s needs, looking at an individual and what support they may need holistically (broader than just debt they may owe).
- Rather than just letters, which can get confusing and scare people, based on advice from local charities, we have also increased use of phone, email and additional stages in the process to allow more time for the individual to get back on track.
- As well as continuing to negotiate payment arrangements, we have also increased our use of alternative payment arrangements to support tenants.
- We have set up an Arrears Review Panel, to ensure there are far more checks and balances and offer to support, before taking any further action.
No DSS: Landmark Court ruling declares housing benefit discrimination is unlawful
Right now, hundreds of thousands of renters are facing discrimination when looking for a home. They’re being locked out of properties they could otherwise afford – simply because they receive housing benefit.
For a long time, letting agents and landlords have been putting in place so-called ‘no DSS’, ‘no benefits’, or ‘no Universal Credit’ policies to prevent renters who receive housing benefit from accessing homes.
But today we have received official confirmation of a landmark court ruling declaring housing benefit discrimination unlawful, marking a huge breakthrough for our End DSS Discrimination campaign.
An historic hearing
Housing benefit discrimination has been confirmed as unlawful in a landmark court ruling.
At the historic hearing at York County Court involving Shelter client Jane*, ‘no DSS’ discrimination was declared unlawful, meaning letting agents and private landlords will have to drive out old discriminatory practices for good.
District Judge Victoria Elizabeth Mark confirmed that rejecting tenancy applications because the applicant is in receipt of housing benefit is unlawfully indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of sex and disability, and contrary to sections 19 and 29 of the Equality Act 2010.
Discrimination and the Equality Act
Under the Equality Act, it is unlawful to indirectly discriminate based on things like gender, disability or race. ‘No DSS’, ‘no benefits’ or ‘no Universal Credit’ policies breach the act via indirect discrimination, as they disproportionately harm women and disabled people, who are more likely to receive housing benefit.
This court ruling has confirmed what we have been arguing – that anyone who seeks to exclude renters receiving housing benefit is not just acting unjustly, but unlawfully too.
A win in the courts
This is the first time that a UK court has fully considered a case like this.
Shelter has been fighting to end DSS discrimination for nearly two years, and we have been involved in several other ‘no DSS’ cases. These all settled at an early stage, with each letting agent agreeing to change their practices and offering apologies and compensation to our clients.
We’ve been pleased to see the changes that these individual letting agents have made, but to bring about widespread change across the private rented sector – and be able to help others who have experienced housing benefit discrimination in the future – we wanted a judge to make a formal ruling on a case.
That’s the difference with Jane’s* case. It’s the first time a UK court has declared it unlawful to discriminate against someone because they receive housing benefit.
Jane’s experience
Jane turned to Shelter for help when a letting agent refused to rent any properties to her because of a company policy not to accept tenants receiving housing benefit.
Jane is a hard-working single mum who lives with a disability. She had rented privately for 10 years, always paying her rent in full and on time, and has great references from her former landlords. She was able to pay her deposit and rent in advance due to her parents lending her money, which she was able to pay back to them – and she had a guarantor.
When her landlord served her with a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notice, she needed to find a new home. She saw a suitable, affordable property and applied to rent it, but the letting agents refused to consider her application – telling her that ‘for years’ they ‘have had a policy of not accepting housing benefit tenants’. She and her children were left homeless as a result. Jane told us:
I hope I’ll have helped people who aren’t able to be as determined as me. I’m like a dog with a bone. It’s the principle. It’s completely unfair to treat people like this, and I hope this will prove that letting agents can’t do this and prove they can’t discriminate.
Widespread change
This landmark ruling will make a difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of private renters across the country like Jane, who receive housing benefit and have been facing discrimination when looking for a home.
We know the ‘no DSS’, ‘no benefits’ and ‘no Universal Credit’ policies are widespread, and that what Jane experienced is not a one-off occurrence. A 2020 YouGov survey found that 63% of private landlords either operate an outright ban on letting to tenants receiving housing benefit or say they prefer not to let to this group.
But this ruling means that letting agents and private landlords will have to drive out old discriminatory practices for good, so that renters who receive housing benefit are no longer barred from renting any privately rented properties.
We’ve seen how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to huge financial hardship, with hundreds of thousands of people losing work and urgently in need of support – including housing benefit – to help them pay their rent.
Given the huge rise in the numbers of people receiving housing benefit due to the pandemic, we’re concerned that many more renters will be coming up against DSS discrimination.
So, this ruling could not have come at a better time. It will make a huge difference to the lives of many private renters who are relying on housing benefit to keep their head above water.
What happens next?
Finally, we have formal clarification that DSS discrimination is unlawful. This win is what we need to end it for good.
Now that it has been proven in the courts, we’ll be doubling up our efforts to end housing benefit discrimination for good – and make sure letting agents are complying with the ruling.
Next General Meeting – March 27th 2021
Our next is scheduled for Saturday 27th March 2021 at 11am via Zoom. Get in touch with us for the login details.
The meeting will be an opportunity to take stock of where we go after our summit, and build on the energy and ideas that emerged. Please join us.
The size and level of involvement at our Rally & Summit gave a clear indication of people’s huge concerns about housing, especially during these past 12 months of Covid-19. These include many issues: from the threat of mass evictions to cladding and building safety in the wake of Grenfell, health & wealth inequality
and a government that has failed to offer any long-term solutions during
and beyond the Covid crisis.
The Mayoral and local elections are looming and we have an opportunity to make housing a key issue. We will be discussing:
Update from workshops & proposed activities over coming weeks
Action around Mayoral/local elections
Steering Group – need more volunteers
Filling the Empties – stay on zoom to join meeting
AOB
The proposed action plan from the Summit workshops are here:
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/HousingSummit-Workshop-Actions.pdf
And Action on Empty Homes recommendations here:
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AEH-Summary-Recommendations-for-change.pdf
Here is a template letter to send to your MP ahead of Budget Day:
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/final-UC-MP-letter-template-and-links.pdf
Housing and Health Emergency Rally and Summit – 19th & 20th February 2021
Join us at our online rally on the 19th February 2021 and our summit the following day on the 20th February to discuss the current housing and health emergency the UK is facing. The rally will take place on our Youtube and Facebook pages and the summit will be held via Zoom. Email us for the Zoom login details.
We’ll be planning action on the following issues:
Evictions • Demolitions • Disrepair • Homelessness • Dangerous cladding • Overcrowding • Slumlords • Privatisation • Corruption • Broken planning • Unaffordable rents • Grenfell • Empty homes • Gentrification • Food-banks • Poverty • Ill-health
We’re getting a very encouraging response, with some excellent speakers lined-up – help us spread the word by sharing the Facebook event.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Next Online Organising Meeting – 13th February 2021, 11am
Our next organising meeting is Saturday 13th February at 11am via Zoom.
Login details will be emailed to our mailing list – sign up today.
These are very difficult times, but it’s essential we keep up the fight to win Homes for All, not just during a pandemic, but always. So we are looking to link up and involve others in a determined campaign to prevent more distress, insecurity and homelessness.
Get in touch if there are housing issues we can help with, or if you
need a hand.
Action plans from the previous meetings can be found in our Resources.
It’s clear whose interests Government is lining up with: Housing
minister Lord Greenhalgh says more evictions are how to end lockdown,
and the Government is pushing owners to convert more commercial
buildings into homes without planning approval and the safety controls
involved. But tenants also won a victory this week, when a district
Court said it’s illegal for landlords to ban tenants claiming housing
benefit (though Government is trying to overturn this by appeal).
We want to step up pressure for Government action to stop a wave of
evictions, suspend rents for those losing income, pay housing and other
benefits from day one, and start work to create 100,000 new council
homes. The Prime Minister is promising more investment in public
infrastructure – but still leaving council housing off his list. We
will work out ways to step up the pressure for investment in new and
reclaimed council homes.
We’ve urged the Labour Party to continue their pledge to reform national housing policy on Labour’s policy forum:
https://www.policyforum.labour.org.uk/commissions/homes-for-all
Our survey has confirmed how tenants, and especially private
renters and those who are ill, are struggling. You can see the initial
results here:
http://www.axethehousingact.org.uk/uncategorized/our-survey-confirms-covid-impact-on-tenants/