One piece of legislation that fell by the wayside when the election was called was a bill to ban what are known as ‘no-fault evictions’. These involve a landlord giving tenants notice, even though they have paid their rent.
In the north-west of England, such evictions have increased by more than a fifth over the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year. A charity in Manchester has been handing out sleeping bags to families facing homelessness in these circumstances. ‘People are coming to us with suitcases and belongings after being evicted,’ said one manager.
Providing decent housing for everyone is perfectly feasible, but not in a society based on the profit motive.