More homeless households in Mansfield

Homelessness charity Shelter said the time for “empty words” on housebuilding was long passed and called on the Government to act.

Across England, homelessness figures hit an all-time high, with 79,840 households having faced homelessness in the first quarter of 2023.

Of those, 6,440 were because of a Section 21 “no-fault” eviction, which allows landlords to evict a tenant with just two months’ notice, without having to give a reason.

In May, the Government published its Renters (Reform) Bill to ban no-fault evictions and introduce greater protections for renters. However, the bill has failed to make any progress through Parliament since.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show 41 households in Mansfield were estimated to be homeless and were owed a relief duty, which requires housing authorities to help them secure accommodation. This was up from 31 the year before.

There were also 76 households threatened with homelessness and owed a prevention duty, two of whom faced losing their home after receiving a Section 21 notice to end an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.

There were 21 single parents and 19 couples with dependent children homeless in Mansfield between January and March.

Jill Finnesey, Mansfield Council head of housing, said: “While the number of people presenting themselves as homeless in this district has slightly increased for the first quarter of this year, the proportionate figure for Mansfield remains well below the national average.

“Our housing needs team focuses on preventing and relieving homelessness wherever possible. We are continuously working with partners to identify people early before they lose their home and support people through the process.

“This is why we encourage people to contact us as early as possible if they are at risk of losing their home, so we can try to prevent that and sustain people in their existing accommodation. We also offer the Call B4 You Serve service to support landlords and tenants to prevent evictions from rented accommodation along with specialist financial inclusion advice.”

In Mansfield, 0.8 per 100,000 people were estimated to be homeless. The national average currently stands at 1.8.