The Big Issue - UK (2020-08-24)

Rent rant

The government’s withdrawal from protecting renters from eviction

is yet another reminder of the uncertainty of private renting. The

outrageous cost of renting in this country is in my opinion an

immoral scandal, the market place has no social conscience and

I believe is in desperate need of control. Millions of people rent

privately and need to use the power of their collective vote to

ensure that the price of private renting is not only controlled, but

signifi cantly reduced and becomes a cornerstone of party-political

manifestos. Fred Spiller, email

Sudoku sorrow

Was looking forward to a cup of tea and the sudoku (don’t judge me)

[August 10]. Where’s the sudoku? Here’s hoping it’s just having a

week’s holiday and will be back next week...please!

Sarah, email

Another great read some very good articles BUT... oh dear... oh no...

disaster.... no sudoku and no cryptic crossword!! We’ll just about

survive until issue 1423. P&J Howsam, email

Style guide

Nobody could disagree about the need to end exploitation in

the fashion industry, but when Alison Eade [Letters, August 10]

writes: “Clean and tidy is all that is required”, that seems to me

to be going to the other extreme. Does she really want to abolish

all the joy of dressing decoratively and exploring di�ferent styles? I

hope not. Carolyn Becingham, Lewes

@bigissue

onfusion reigned. As we went to print with this edition

it was still unclear whether the government’s ban on

evictions in England would remain. The measure was put in

place to o�fer some security for those who fell into arrears, or

feared they would, due to Covid crippling their fi nances.

As part of our RORA drive we had been calling on the Westminster

administration to extend that ban, which was due to lapse on August 23.

Late last week, the Northern Irish executive joined devolved leaders in

Scotland and Wales in introducing some measure of extension. We asked

the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government if they

were planning a last-minute Damascene conversion, whether the U-turn

was on. We were assured that things would progress as planned and that

it was time to allow evictions again. Then, rumours started to break that

the Secretary of State Robert Jenrick was going to announce that the ban

on evictions would stay.

The truth is this. I don’t know which way it has gone. This government

do enjoy a U-turn, especially a�ter insisting they wouldn’t. So they may

have decided that it was the right thing to do by allowing an eviction

extension. Or they may not. Or they

were waiting on an algorithm to tell

them what to do.

Either way, this is just the start of

very tough times. It’ll require much

more than an eviction moratorium to

prevent a homelessness landslide.

It’s worth recapping here what

we’re trying to do with RORA. It’s the

Ride Out Recession Alliance. We want

to keep people in their homes and

we want to keep them in their jobs,

or help create new ones. If we can

do this, we avoid a catastrophic cost

to individuals, their future chances,

the chances for their children and for the nation. To do this, we’re calling

on as many people and organisations as possible to come up with new

thinking and new ways of working. At The Big Issue we don’t have the

solutions. But we want to fi nd them.

The eviction moratorium argument focused minds. It helped, but it

would not have provided an ending.

For that, boldness is required. All around us jobs are being cut.

Job security is dri�ting in so many industries. The O�fi ce for Budget

Responsibility estimates that 10 per cent of furloughed workers will

become unemployed. Over nine million people were furloughed. If those

in rented accommodation can’t meet rent bills, landlords, many of them

small-time landlords, lose income. That puts them in a spiral as income

problems grow. The debt hydra sprouts more heads.

The only realistic way to prevent this is to fund home retention in the

way Rishi Sunak funded job retention. It has to be way beyond the norms

of housing benefi t. It requires a vast fi nancial injection. How is that

funded? What bonds and securities will need to be issued? How do we

make sure it is a system that is easy to use but not abuse?

Whichever way the position on eviction sits, our next move has to be

big enough to deal with this oncoming reality.

Let’s get ready.

C

Our next

move has to

be the boldest

one yet

Paul McNamee is editor of The Big Issue @pauldmcnamee

[email protected]

EDITOR'S LETTER

@dancall

Such a great cover!

@BigIssue by artist Jessica Antunez.

@tamdeanburn

As @davidgraeber says in last week’s wonderful @BigIssue

edited by Jarvis – there are so many jobs that are useless and need

made redundant. Yes Michael – walks in life are what we all need,

not pounding the employment treadmill...

@denisegeeves

The government must support private landlords, many of

whom rely on the income from their one or two properties to top

up income and pension. We can’t expect private landlords to sub

tenants rent from their own income.

@bob_taylor

A real shame that in the 6th richest country in the world, this

is regarded as ‘getting back to normal’. Normal to evict people who

have hit hard times, o�ten through no fault of their own? Is it really?

@sophisabella

If you missed it last week, @BigIssue article on #NoDSS

win last month. With 39% of private renters in receipt of housing

benefi t/UC housing costs, it’s ever more important that agencies &

LLs follow the judgment. DSS discrimination

is unlawful

@jackiescoones

It’s not really about better community advocates altho

obviously that would be a good thing. It’s the structural resources

to support and house the mentally ill, the disabled and people with

drug and alcohol problems have been withdrawn, so these people

cannot cope.

RE: HOUSING

The only way to

prevent this is

to fund home

retention in

the way Rishi

Sunak funded

job retention

FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM | 09

Rent rant
Thegovernment’swithdrawalfromprotectingrentersfromeviction
is yet anotherreminder of the uncertainty of private renting. The
outrageouscostofrentinginthiscountryisinmyopinionan
immoralscandal,themarketplacehasnosocialconscienceand
I believeisindesperateneedofcontrol.Millionsofpeoplerent
privatelyandneedtousethepoweroftheircollectivevoteto
ensurethatthepriceofprivaterentingisnotonlycontrolled,but
significantlyreducedand becomes a cornerstone of party-political
manifestos.Fred Spiller, email

Sudoku sorrow
Waslookingforwardtoa cupofteaandthesudoku(don’tjudgeme)
[August10].Where’sthesudoku?Here’shopingit’sjust having a
week’sholidayand will be back next week...please!
Sarah,email

AnothergreatreadsomeverygoodarticlesBUT...ohdear...ohno...
disaster....nosudokuandnocrypticcrossword!! We’ll just about
survive until issue 1423.P&J Howsam, email

Style guide
Nobodycoulddisagreeabouttheneedtoendexploitationin
thefashionindustry,butwhenAlisonEade[Letters,August10]
writes: “Cleanand tidyis all thatis required”, that seemsto me
to be going to the otherextreme.Doesshe reallywantto abolish
all the joy of dressing decoratively and exploring di�ferent styles? I
hope not.Carolyn Becingham, Lewes

@bigissue

onfusionreigned.Aswewenttoprintwiththisedition

itwasstillunclearwhetherthegovernment’sbanon

evictionsinEnglandwouldremain.Themeasurewasputin

placeto o�fer somesecurity for thosewho fellinto arrears,or

fearedthey would,due to Covid crippling their finances.

AspartofourRORAdrivewehadbeencallingontheWestminster

administrationtoextendthatban,whichwasduetolapseonAugust23.

Latelastweek,theNorthernIrishexecutivejoineddevolvedleadersin

ScotlandandWalesinintroducingsomemeasureofextension.Weasked

the Ministry of Housing, Communities and LocalGovernmentif they

were planning a last-minute Damasceneconversion, whetherthe U-turn

wason.Wewereassuredthatthingswouldprogressasplannedandthat

itwastimetoallowevictionsagain.Then,rumoursstartedtobreakthat

theSecretaryofStateRobertJenrickwasgoingtoannouncethattheban

onevictionswouldstay.

Thetruthisthis.I don’tknowwhichwayithasgone.Thisgovernment

do enjoya U-turn,especially a�terinsisting they wouldn’t.So they may

havedecidedthatitwastherightthingto do by allowing an eviction

extension.Ortheymaynot.Orthey

werewaitingonanalgorithmtotell

themwhattodo.

Eitherway,thisisjustthestartof

very toughtimes. It’ll require much

morethananevictionmoratoriumto

preventa homelessnesslandslide.

It’sworthrecappingherewhat

we’retryingtodowithRORA.It’sthe

RideOutRecessionAlliance.Wewant

tokeeppeopleintheirhomesand

wewanttokeepthemintheirjobs,

orhelpcreatenewones.Ifwecan

dothis,weavoida catastrophiccost

toindividuals,theirfuturechances,

thechancesfortheirchildrenandforthenation.Todothis,we’recalling

onasmanypeopleandorganisationsaspossibletocomeupwithnew

thinkingandnewwaysofworking.AtTheBigIssuewedon’thavethe

solutions. But we wantto find them.

Theevictionmoratoriumargumentfocusedminds.Ithelped,butit

wouldnothaveprovidedanending.

For that, boldnessis required. All aroundus jobs are being cut.

Job securityis dri�tingin so manyindustries. The O�fice for Budget

Responsibilityestimatesthat 10 percentoffurloughedworkerswill

becomeunemployed.Overninemillionpeoplewerefurloughed.Ifthose

inrentedaccommodationcan’tmeetrentbills,landlords,manyofthem

small-time landlords,loseincome.That puts themin a spiral asincome

problemsgrow.Thedebthydrasproutsmoreheads.

Theonlyrealisticwaytopreventthisistofundhomeretentioninthe

wayRishiSunakfundedjobretention.Ithastobewaybeyondthenorms

of housing benefit. It requires a vast financialinjection. Howis that

funded?Whatbondsandsecuritieswillneedtobeissued?Howdowe

makesureitisa systemthatiseasytousebutnotabuse?

Whicheverwaythepositiononevictionsits,our next move has to be

bigenoughtodealwith this oncoming reality.

Let’sgetready.

C

Our next

move has to

be the boldest

one yet

PaulMcNameeiseditorofTheBig Issue @pauldmcnamee

[email protected]

EDITOR'S LETTER

@dancall

Sucha greatcover!

@BigIssuebyartistJessicaAntunez.

@tamdeanburn

As@davidgraebersaysinlastweek’swonderful@BigIssue

editedbyJarvis– therearesomanyjobsthatareuselessandneed

maderedundant.YesMichael– walksinlifeare what we all need,

notpoundingtheemployment treadmill...

@denisegeeves

Thegovernmentmustsupportprivatelandlords,manyof

whomrelyontheincomefromtheironeortwopropertiestotop

upincomeandpension.Wecan’texpect private landlords to sub

tenantsrentfromtheirown income.

@bob_taylor

Arealshamethatinthe6thrichestcountryintheworld,this

isregardedas‘gettingbacktonormal’.Normaltoevictpeoplewho

have hit hard times, o�tenthrough no fault of their own? Is it really?

@sophisabella

If you missedit last week,@BigIssuearticle on #NoDSS

winlastmonth.With39%ofprivaterentersinreceiptofhousing

benefit/UC housing costs,it’s ever moreimportant that agencies &

LLs followthe judgment. DSS discrimination

is unlawful

@jackiescoones

It’snotreallyaboutbettercommunityadvocatesaltho

obviouslythatwouldbea goodthing.It’sthestructuralresources

tosupportandhousethementallyill,thedisabledandpeoplewith

drugandalcohol problems have been withdrawn, so these people

cannot cope.

RE: HOUSING

The onlywayto

preventthis is

tofund home

retentionin

thewayRishi

Sunakfunded

job retention

FROM 24 AUGUST 2020 BIGISSUE.COM| 09