Ministry of Justice (MOJ) national figures for April to June 2022 show possession cases brought by both landlords and banks have surged. The MOJ says the number of landlord possession claims against tenants has increased from 6,997 to 18,201, possession orders from 5,431 to 14,319, bailiffs’ warrants from 3,786 to 7,728 and evictions from 1,582 to 4,900. Claims by banks enforcing mortgages have also increased, with possession claims rising from 2,499 to 3,476, possession orders from 400 to 2,382, bailiffs’ warrants from 525 to 2,419 and evictions from 45 to 770.
As the number of landlord and mortgage claims continues to rise, the need for proper access to advice and representation remains crucial. At Canterbury Housing Advice Centre (CHAC), we have already experienced an increase in demand for our support. April to June 2022 was our busiest period ever, with help and advice provided to 817 people in the Canterbury District. That’s 131 more people who came to us for help than in the same period last year (686).
In fact, the number of people seeking support from CHAC has been on the rise since last autumn:
745 people sought our help and advice in the period October to December 2021
767 people sought our help and advice in the period January to March 2022
CHAC prevents homelessness by supporting people to maintain their accommodation and stopping them from being evicted. We do this through advice and representation, and by negotiating with landlords in order to try to resolve problems such as rent and mortgage arrears. Where it is not possible to prevent evictions, we assist people to find alternative accommodation in private rented or social housing. The earlier that people contact us about their housing problems the better the range of outcomes we can achieve.
The work we do preventing homelessness is crucially important but does require ongoing funding in order to continue our essential work.
Learn more about our work by reading some of our clients’ stories.
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