Question for Short Debate: COVID-19: Poverty and Mass Evictions
Lord Bird
On 22 April 2021, Lord Bird led a Question for short debate to ask the Government what assessment they have made of the risk of mass evictions resulting from COVID-19-related poverty; and what steps they will take to prevent such evictions.
Introducing the topic, he gave the following statement:
"Our big issue must be stopping mass homelessness caused by mass unemployment; we have to avoid hundreds and thousands of people being evicted and ending up in temporary accommodation.
"Once the cycle starts, the cost of stopping it continues to rise. Hence, prevention is the most cost-effective and the most social-effective answer."
Information, resources and Parliamentary activity
What is a Question for Short Debate?
Four short debates ('Questions for Short Debate') take place on Thursday every five weeks in Grand Committee, work away from the main chamber. Debates are an opportunity for members to discuss important current issues and draw the government’s attention to concerns. A government minister or spokesperson responds at the end to the issues raised in the debate.
House of Lords Library research briefings:
- Coronavirus: Extending the ban on residential evictions in England (29 January 2021)
- Coronavirus: Motion to annul rules on eviction court cases (21 September 2020)
Debates
- Public Health (Coronavirus) (Protection from Eviction) (England) Regulations 2021 (2 February 2021)
- No-fault Evictions (27 January 2021)
- Housing: Rent, Evictions and Covid-19 (13 October 2020)
- Housing for the Homeless (14 May 2020
Written questions
- The Marquess of Lothian: Homelessness: Coronavirus (20 January 2021)
- Lord Boateng: Asylum: Evictions (9 October 2020)
- Lord Jones of Cheltenham: Private Rented Housing: Coronavirus (21 September 2020)
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