The Council are urging all private landlords, to get in touch with the Homelessness Prevention Service, and seek support before evicting any tenants over the coming months.
Council officers have written Landlord Associations, asking their members to work with the Council during these challenging times.
The warning comes as figures released nationally show increases in unemployment since the start of COVID-19.
The Homelessness Prevention Service at North East Lincolnshire Council can help people to get their lives back on track with tenancy support, help to make benefits claims and debt counselling, as well as arranging for repayment and behaviour agreements between landlords and tenants.
Councillor John Fenty, deputy leader and portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and skills at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We’re aware that lots of people have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many will have seen their income fall and some may have found themselves without a job.
“The last thing we want is for people to made homeless because of this awful virus.
“We also recognise that landlords have bills to pay too, and evicting someone may seem like the only option to free up a property for a new tenant.
“What we want to do is work with landlords to make sure firstly that anything that can be done to prevent someone being made homeless is being done, and secondly, that if there is no support or intervention that we can offer to stop the tenant becoming homeless, we can at least arrange for some alternative emergency accommodation to be ready.
“My message to landlords is please work with us, let us know if you are considering serving an eviction notice and let us see what support we can put in place.”
If you or someone you know is facing the threat of being made homeless, get in touch with the Council’s Homelessness Prevention Service on 01472 326296 (option 1).
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