The British Medical Association (BMA) has welcomed an extension to the ban on landlords evicting tenants in England and Wales until 20 September – but has urged that longer-term protections need to be in place.
The Association had warned of the consequences of a potential rise in homelessness and had said it could lead to a surge in coronavirus cases.
People who are homeless are three times more likely to be chronically ill with lung and breathing problems, a serious risk factor in devlopment of the virus.
The homeless charity Shelter estimates that 227,000 private renters have fallen into rent arrears since the pandemic began and are at risk of losing their homes.
As well as a four week extension to the eviction ban, in most cases, renters will now have to be given six months’ notice if their landlord wants them to leave a property.
Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, BMA board of science chair said:
’We’re pleased that after urgent calls from the BMA and other organisations, the Government has finally decided to extend the housing eviction ban.
’However, those facing rent arrears in England cannot really breathe a sigh of relief as it only gives them four weeks’ respite. The Government must see this announcement as an interim solution ahead of a much longer, credible plan.’
The BMA wants to see emergency legislation passed and more funding invested to help the homeless and trough sleepers as winter approaches.
’We are nowhere near a vaccine yet, which means that unless a solution is found we are looking at the threat of mass homelessness just as there is a potential rise on in Covid cases in the winter months,’ said Professor Kumar.
’This would be disastrous for the spread of the virus.’
Meanwhile, landlords are concerned that they’ll be ’powerless’ to shift tenants with rent arrears and anti-social behaviour unrelated to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, Ben Beadle has described the blanket extension of the eviction ban as ’unaccpetable’.