Another Dickensian Christmas?
Christmas is often seen as the oasis of joy right in the middle of the harsh season of winter. The festive season brings about feelings of warmth and togetherness from the decorations both in and outside our homes, offsetting the dark and cold outside.
Yet not everyone experiences Christmas in the same way. Having housing issues is already tough enough, especially during a Cost-of-Living crisis. But during Christmastime, the bitterness of the cold heightens the difficulties of grappling with disrepair, uncooperative
landlords or agents, or even being threatened with eviction. There is a stark contrast between the merry atmosphere and a person’s precarious circumstances that can lead to a deepened sense of loneliness by not wanting to ask for help.
It's during these times where charities and organisations like ours see a spike in the number of cases. This year alone, just over a third of our cases have come from the final quarter of the year. But it’s not just this year, as we see a regular upward trend in the number of clients in the colder months and when household budgets are tighter as the year winds down.
In 2023, we were able to prevent 30 households from being made homeless. We saw a 40% increase in the number of households which we were able to prevent from being homeless in the long-term when compared to last year’s figures. This clearly illustrates a need for more legal advice for those who desperately need it, but also for more safe and affordable housing to put an end to this housing crisis.
One such case was Client C. Client C, vulnerable due to physical and mental health issues, homelessness, and language barriers, faced rent arrears after moving into a privately rented flat from hostel accommodation. They mistakenly assumed the housing benefit they received from previously living in the hostel would transfer automatically to their new flat and failed to claim Universal Credit promptly. Facing eviction due to arrears, we helped Client C defend by making a disrepair counterclaim as the property was in bad condition. The mould and damp levels were severe enough to put them at a safety risk. This allowed us to negotiate an out-of-court settlement, dropping the disrepair claim in exchange for the landlord waiving rent arrears and providing them with a tenancy at a newly refurbished flat nearby.
We see many cases such as Client C’s, where clients are desperate for help out of a troubling situation. According to Shelter’s latest research, Brent has the 14th highest local rate of people who are homeless out of all the local authorities in England. This sits around an estimated figure of 5,617 people, as of late June 2023. The number includes those not only living in Temporary Accommodation, but also those sleeping rough on the streets. This is around 1 in 60 people. On a national scale, Shelter estimates that around 139,000 children will “wake up on Christmas morning without a safe place to call home”. This is 139,000 too many.
We at Advice for Renters not only hope to provide people with the help they need, but to also empower them to take action where necessary. This year, we saw a 16.7%
increase in the number of cases where clients felt more empowered to take their own action.
While this outcome is welcomed, we need even more tenants to feel empowered to speak up about their problems and to know exactly what their rights are. We need a strengthening of tenants’ rights across the board. Ending Section 21 no-fault evictions will mean that no-on can be pushed into homelessness and negatively contribute to any further issues they are facing. Supporting the Renters’ Reform Bill and pressuring Parliament to add further protections to renters’ rights is the only way. Introducing a Property Portal will allow further transparency and empower tenants.
Though in the meantime, charities and organisations such as ours will have to step in and continue to help those in need. Demands and costs continue to increase, while income simultaneously dwindles - this will be yet another tough winter to weather for charities, too. We do not want to have to cut the vital services that our community needs, as clients come to us when they desperately need help. Could you support our work?
There are many ways to get involved: