A CAMPAIGN has been launched to prevent an avalanche of homelessness this autumn after research has suggested that evictions and repossessions continued throughout the lockdown.

The Big Issue warned of a potential “four-pronged attack” on the public in coming months, with an end to the universal credit uplift and the furlough scheme, an increase in evictions and repossessions, and a predicted increase in the cost of electricity and gas.

A study of official figures by the newspaper, which campaigns against homelessness, found that in the first quarter of 2021, there were 632 mortgage repossessions and rental evictions across Britain.

The Big Issue has called for measures to prevent an avalanche of homelessness, including a system of means-tested grants or interest-free loans to repay arrears and suspending no-fault evictions until the Renters’ Reform Act is made law.

Lord John Bird, founder of the Big Issue, said: “Millions of people in this country are behind in household bills, half a million are in rent arrears and nearly 200,000 homeowners are in financial difficulty.

“More people are at risk of homelessness now than at any time in living memory. Against a background of 1.9 million jobs at risk of permanent loss from the pandemic, this should be ringing alarm bells throughout the country.

“The government was quick to support us when they put over 37,000 homeless people into accommodation in the first lockdown. We need a similar urgent approach to prevent an avalanche of homelessness this autumn.

“We need the public to start getting involved urgently, by pressuring the government and local politicians to take this looming crisis seriously. The scale and potential impact of this crisis affects everyone in the UK.”

Generation Rent director Alicia Kennedy said: “The number of private renters getting universal credit has doubled since the start of the pandemic, and the level of support it provides is not enough to cover the rent. That means people getting behind on rent and at risk of eviction.

“Even if their income recovers, it will be impossible to pay off all this debt while staying on top of other bills.

“The government must step in and clear this rent debt and let renters get on with their lives — otherwise society will pay a higher price through a homelessness crisis.”