The data consists of both quantitative and qualitative responses from duty solicitors, debt advisers, legal practitioners, occupiers and landlords (both social and private). The data were collected during June to November 2021 using online surveys.The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on household debt evidenced in part by a significant increase in rent and mortgage arrears (Brady, 2020 and Wilson et al, 2021). In response, the landscape of eviction in England and Wales has changed fundamentally. Lenders, landlords, regulators and the court system have all introduced changes designed to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on households in an effort to assist them in keeping their homes, for now (see Wilson et al, 2021). With all legal claims for eviction halted until 20 September 2020, the resumption of legal proceedings has taken place under a new system known as the 'Overall Arrangements' which will operate from 20 September 2020 until 30 July 2021. In addition, a new 'Housing Possession Mediation Pilot Scheme', intended to run for six months, began on 1 February 2021. These initiatives are designed to increase opportunities for the parties to reach agreement and avoid the need for a substantive court hearing, thereby reducing the number of evictions and relieving pressure on the already overburdened court system. Given the temporary nature of these schemes, it is imperative that an assessment of their effectiveness is undertaken before the end of July 2021. This project will achieve that aim by collecting data from, among others, occupiers threatened with eviction and legal practitioners on the frontline of eviction cases. An analysis of that data will offer a unique insight into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household debt and home loss, how occupiers respond to and engage in the arrears process and the effectiveness of the new initiatives on handling possession cases. The findings of this project will contribute new knowledge to a range of academic disciplines including law, business, economics, and psychology. By working closely with key stakeholders, including housing providers, legal practitioners and the Ministry of Justice, it will also give rise to knowledge exchange and impact. It will, in particular, inform urgent policy decisions regarding both the current and future development of the eviction process and thereby assist some households in their attempts to avoid losing their home.
The project employed a multi-disciplinary, mixed methods research approach that utilised both secondary and primary research methods. The analysis of social science material and available data was supplemented by the collection of unique primary data, both quantitative and qualitative. Adopting a participatory research approach, this project draws on and embeds the participation, views and experience of stakeholders in order to capture practitioner and occupier experiences of the arrears and possessions process. Due to the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in conducting face-to-face interviews and the need to gather data over only a few months, this project used online survey tools in order to conduct both random and purposeful sampling of occupiers, debt advisers, landlords, legal practitioners (who represent landlords and mortgage lenders) and duty advisers, particularly legal practitioners who offer free legal advice to occupiers through the HPCDS. In total, 176 respondents completed the surveys, a pleasing result given the small scale and time restricted nature of this project.
