Today, Wednesday 18th March, the government announced that it would be bringing forward legalisation to protect renters during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Responding to the announcement Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “It’s reassuring to hear that the government is planning to bring forward legislation to protect renters during the COVID-19 outbreak.

 “People renting need to know that, in these uncertain times, they’ll be able to keep a roof over their head come what may. It is vital that these measures are brought forward quickly and include the immediate suspension of all evictions for social and private tenants, so that people are not put at greater risk of homelessness should they experience a loss of earnings because of the pandemic. 

 “Having somewhere safe and stable to live has never been more important. It is absolutely crucial that the government does everything it can to ensure that rates of homelessness do not soar because of the outbreak. We have already seen other countries implement such measures, so we urge the UK to take similar action as a matter of urgency.”

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