1,300 veterans vulnerable to homelessness from no-fault eviction since Tory ban vow
More than 1,300 veterans have been put vulnerable to homelessness since 2019 after the Tories did not preserve their promise to ban no-fault evictions.
Figures obtained by way of Freedom of Information requests present the variety of ex-forces personnel getting ready to dropping their properties by way of Section 21 eviction notices has soared since 2019. In 2019, 222 veterans have been put vulnerable to homelessness resulting from a Section 21 however rising to 350 final yr, a 57% enhance. The whole hit 1,333 over this Parliament.
One of the worst performing areas was Plymouth the place 48 veterans have been at risk of dropping their properties since 2019. Part of the world is in Veterans Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer’s constituency. Mr Mercer, a former Army officer, vowed to finish veterans homelessness final yr with a scheme referred to as Operation Fortitude to assist veterans discover lodging.
The variety of former navy personnel vulnerable to homelessness extra usually rose from 1,655 in 2018 to 2,354 final yr. Liberal Democrat Housing spokeswoman Helen Morgan, who obtained the figures, stated: “No one should be forced into the position where they could be made homeless through no fault of their own and face all the stresses and anxieties that come with that.
“It is an utter shame that hundreds of veterans, who’ve given a lot to this nation, have been put in that scenario and Rishi Sunak ought to dangle his head in disgrace. This is ready to be one other damaged Conservative celebration promise that’s forcing pointless hardship onto individuals who have put their lives on the road for this nation.”
In a speech to the party’s Spring Conference tomorrow, she will urge the Tories to keep their promise from 2019 and bring forward the Section 21 ban. The Conservatives promised to outlaw no-fault evictions in their last election manifesto – preventing landlords from kicking out tenants without good reason.
But the ban has been repeatedly delayed amid disquiet from Tory MPs, many of whom are landlords. Housing Secretary Michael Gove insisted last month it would be enacted before the election but the legislation has not yet come back to Parliament.
Yesterday, Labour’s Lucy Powell said the Renter’s Reform Bill was “being held to ransom” and accused the Government of failing to “stand as much as landlords on their very own aspect and finish no-fault evictions”.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was contacted for comment.
