PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Domestic Abuse: Housing (19 October 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect (a) vulnerable people and (b) victims of domestic violence from not being able to access their Housing Association properties if they are in rent-arrears through no fault of their own.

Asked by:
Mohammad Yasin (Labour)

Most housing associations are Private Registered Providers of social housing. When providing access to their properties, Private Registered Providers must comply with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Tenancy Standard: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenancy-standard/tenancy-standard-2015 . This requires them to allocate their properties in a fair and transparent way, taking into account the housing needs and aspirations of tenants and potential tenants, with clear application, decision and appeals processes. They must also clearly set out, and be able to give reasons for, the criteria they use for excluding actual and potential tenants from consideration for allocations, mobility or mutual exchange schemes.

We have taken unprecedented steps to protect renters, whether they rent from a housing association, local council or private landlord.

We have introduced 6-month notice periods. From 29 August, anyone served a notice seeking possession will not have to leave their home over winter, except in the most serious cases such as anti-social behaviour, fraud and egregious rent arrears.

The Government has asked bailiffs not to carry out evictions in areas where gatherings are not allowed in homes and bailiffs should not carry out evictions in tier 2 (high) and tier 3 (very high) local COVID alert areas. There will also be a pause on the enforcement of evictions in the run up to and over Christmas except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour.

This will ensure vulnerable tenants are not forced from their homes at a time when public and local authorities may be dealing with the usual level of increased demand for services.

For those who require additional support with their rent, Discretionary Housing Payments are available. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21 there is already £180 million in Discretionary Housing Payments for local authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs in the social and private rented sectors.

Answered by:
Christopher Pincher (Independent)
27 October 2020