Further to last night’s unanimous support from all Councillors to the Green Group Motion ‘Housing Support No Evictions’, Councillor David Gibson, Housing Spokesperson, in the Green Group of Councillors said:
“It was heartening that all parties on the council backed the Green Group of Councillors motion [1] urging the council to extend its policy of non-eviction of low income households whose rent arrears arise solely from government benefit cuts. These benefit cuts are heaping misery on poor people as the Government seeks to get them to pay for the banking bailouts.
“It is absolutely right that the council should not be adding to the woes of families and individuals struggling with loss of housing benefit by threatening to take their home away and make them homeless.
“The policy of non-eviction has worked well to enable supportive engagement with those facing difficulties with the bedroom tax. 269 people suffering under the bedroom tax have been helped to move and overall rent arrears have been reduced. We now need to continue this non-eviction approach to those faced with the benefit cap and cuts to 18-21s housing benefit.”