Housing charity calls for extension on Covid-19 emergency ban for evictions

The housing charity reports increases in applications for rent supplements and numbers of people in rent arrears

Threshhold want the emergency coroanvirus eviction ban to be extended after June 27.

A housing charity has had a 20% increase in new cases during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Threshold says calls about rent arrears have tripled - with some people owing as much as €2,800.

There has also been a 12-fold increase in queries about rent supplements.

Chief executive John-Mark McCafferty is calling for the government to extend the ban on evictions, as it is due to expire on June 27.

He says: "We know this crisis is a lot deeper and lot lengthier than first anticipated.

"What we are looking for really is for that emergency legislation to be extended, that's a really important point."