What we’re learning about the cost-of-living crisis: rise in ‘no-fault’ evictions

It’s clear from what people are telling us that the cost-of-living crisis is impacting on the lives of our beneficiaries, particularly people at risk of homelessness. This is due to increasing energy bills, rising rents, no-fault evictions and escalating food costs. The impact of the cost-of-living crisis is beginning to show and we need the community’s help to prevent more people from becoming homeless.

The government hasn’t reintroduced the eviction ban that protected tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s looking unlikely that it will be reinstated.

In September 2022, Government statistics showed that 19,790 households in England faced homelessness in the last financial year after receiving a no-fault eviction notice, more than doubling on the previous year.

Low-income households are in crisis. Often with nowhere else to go, they seek places like Emmanuel House or are put in emergency accommodation such as a hotel. We’re supporting parents who aren’t able to get support from social services and are relying on schools and food banks to provide food for their children.

Because there are no cooking facilities in hotel rooms, some of our beneficaries are having to rely on cooking at friends’ houses and ordering take-aways, which can be very costly.

Here are two stories from our Culturally Specific Tenancy Support Worker Kalwant, who is currently supporting 15 people from multiple ethnic communities, 8 of which have young children.

Cost-of-living crisis impact – case studies

Lucia’s story

When Lucia’s* landlord wanted to sell the house, she and her three children had nowhere else to live. Our Culturally Specific Tenancy Support Worker Kalwant helped her to fill out the legal documents and move her possessions into storage. She is currently staying in hotels with her 3 children. She is constantly having to move between hotels around the county and still send her children to the same school. Kalwant supported her to apply for a bus pass, applied for free school uniform and liaised with the children’s school to notify them of the situation.

Lucia was working part-time but is unable to work weekends when she’s moving between hotels. If alternative accommodation in Nottingham isn’t arranged for her, she’ll lose her job. Lucia is very stressed and Kalwant is providing emotional support with empathy, patience and sheer determination, as well as working with the council to find her permanent accommodation.

Elena’s story

Elena* was living in a one-bedroom flat with her baby, but the landlord told her she had to leave through no fault of her own. She was moved into a hotel and was living between different ones, having to travel between them.

She moved into a hostel for a few months, and then another one-bedroom flat. The heating is broken and the fan heater in her room is causing her and her child to become physically unwell.

She was working part-time but had to leave her job in order to look after her child when they became ill, as well as manage her own mental health.

She is having problems with her Universal Credit payments, which aren’t being paid on time and Kalwant is liaising with the DWP on her behalf, as English isn’t her first language. Kalwant is constantly working to find her permanent accommodation and bidding for council properties.  

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

Read more about how you can help people in crisis over winter.