December 7, 2015 2.49 pm This story is over 99 months old

Nearly 400 renters put at risk of losing their home in Lincoln

Eviction hotspot: Almost 400 renters in Lincoln were put at risk of eviction in the last year, according to new statistics.
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New figures have revealed that almost 400 renters in Lincoln were put at risk of eviction in the last year.

Research by the housing and homelessness charity Shelter showed that 376 claims were made by landlords in Lincoln in the past 12 months, equating to one in 48 rented homes in the city.

Leicester topped the list in the East Midlands with as many as one in every 44 rented homes at risk of eviction, followed by Northampton (one in 45), with Lincoln in third.

The analysis, using Ministry of Justice figures, showed that one in every 64 rented households in the East Midlands have been put at risk of losing their home.

The figures also revealed that as many as 5,000 renters in the East Midlands have been evicted by county court bailiffs in the last year.

Alison Mohammed, Shelter’s Director of Services, said: “It’s shocking to think that each and every week, hundreds of people in the region receive a notice through the door with the devastating news that they might lose their home.

“We speak to parents every day who are desperately trying to keep a roof over their children’s heads, but with rents soaring and housing support being slashed, many are finding themselves at breaking point.

“Already, almost 1,000 children in the East Midlands will wake up homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas, and tragically the situation looks set to get worse.

“Our advisers will be working non-stop over the festive period to support families at risk of losing their home – but sadly our helpline is receiving a huge number of calls and our services are straining under the demand.

“We desperately need more support from the public to help us be there for these families and make sure no-one has to fight homelessness on their own this Christmas.”