In October 2017, the then Secretary of State for Housing committed to consult with the judiciary on whether a new, specialist Housing Court could make it easier for all users of court and tribunal services to resolve disputes, reduce delays and to secure justice in housing cases.
In November 2018, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government released its ‘Call for Evidence’ to seek the views of all users of the courts and the property tribunals, such as individual owners towards the notion of a dedicated Housing Court. In October 2020, we are still awaiting the outcome of this public consultation.
In July 2020, Glenn Harris MBE (CEO, Midland Heart) wrote an article for the Centre for the New Midlands in which he argued that “the Government made the right call in pausing evictions during lockdown, and in setting out measures to protect tenants with a pre-action protocol once the ban is lifted. But to fully protect tenants in the longer term, we need to take a closer look at the justice system itself”.
What could a well resourced dedicated Housing Court mean for the West Midlands region? Could the Midlands could host a pilot project of the scheme?