POLITICIANS of all parties on Brighton and Hove City Council agreed that a letter should be sent to the government asking for more support to cover the reducing Covid-related rent debts (June 29).

I won't be holding my breath as the government rejected an earlier call from the Resolution Foundation, supported by the National Residential Landlords' Association, to introduce a loan scheme that would see landlords receive the rent owed to them while allowing tenants up to five years to pay back the loan.

The government justifies its decision not to introduce a loan scheme by saying that, to help people in difficulties, it has increased Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) from £139.5 million to £180 million in 2020-21 amid the pandemic.

At almost the same time as making that announcement, it cut back DHP to £140 million in 2021-22, a reduction of 22 per cent and lower than the DHP budget in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

How short-sighted. Government had a perfect opportunity to set up a loans facility that, in time, would be repaid but, no, decided not to act when it could.

At our Brighton Advice Centre we had been receiving, on average, about three enquiries a day from people who said that they might lose their home. It is now well over 20 calls a day, and staff are bracing themselves for a deluge of calls in the weeks ahead, given that most tenants in arrears have yet to receive anything in writing from the landlord.

If you are in arrears, speak to your landlord to explain your situation, and tell them how and when you expect to be able to clear your arrears.

The period of the eviction moratorium was not a "rent holiday". Any arrears will still need to be paid and non-payment is a ground for a landlord to gain possession of your home.

Act early, speak to your landlord, get advice. Homelessness can be prevented. In the 12 months prior to the pandemic, the BHT Sussex advice centres in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings prevented 927 households from becoming homeless. The Brighton Advice Centre can be contacted on 01273 645455 or on www.bht.org.uk.

Andy Winter

Chief executive

BHT Sussex (formerly known as Brighton Housing Trust)