Two Labour MPs have recently questioned junior housing minister Eddie Hughes regarding what has been the effects of the re-introduction of a bailiff eviction.

In the latest monthly House of Commons questions to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, Hughes was asked by Labour MP has any form of assessment been carried out by the government to find out how the eviction ban ending has caused numbers of homelessness cases increasing.

Hughes’ full response was: “Although the ban on bailiff enforcement has ended, the measures that the government have introduced mean that fewer cases are progressing to eviction.

“Landlord possession claims were down by 74 per cent in quarter 1 of this year compared with the same period in 2020, and the number of families in temporary accommodation is at its lowest since 2016.

“For those who need more support, we are providing councils with £310m through the homelessness prevention grant—that is an uplift of £47m on last year—which can be used for financial support for people to find a new home, to work with landlords to prevent evictions, or to provide temporary accommodation and ensure that families have a roof over their head.”

Another Labour MP – Florence Eshalomi – entered into the fray when she told Hughes that the one of the best ways to stop homelessness is to make sure that no one tenant is evicted, she also demanded to know when the government will carry out its 2019 pledge to curb or end Section 21 eviction powers.

Eshalomi stated that in her Vauxhall constituency “many residents now face eviction” as well as “tenants in my constituency still face the constant threat of eviction.”

Hughes’ replied: “We remain committed to delivering a better deal for renters, including repealing section 21 of the Housing Act 1988.

“We will legislate, but it is only right that that legislation considers the impact of the pandemic and is a balanced set of reforms that improves the private rented market.

“A White Paper detailing our package of reforms to the private rented sector will be brought forward in the autumn.”

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