See below ( but don’t believe the linked article, as I’ll explain )
How many evictions would the Daily Mirror, Research survey Opinium, or Shelter have you believe ?

https://fullfact.org/economy/coronavirus-evictions/

How many people have been evicted through Coronavirus ?

The Daily Mirror published on 26th of March, 2020 claims a Research survey by Opinium carried out between 20 – 24th March showed – 11% of UK workers, had been evicted from their home as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

As you point out in your article, this amounts to around 1.3 Million workers ( without taking account of their family members )

The Government ‘Lockdown’ that has indeed had significant effect, only commenced on the evening of the 23rd of March and certainly since that time, there has been financial hardship on much of the population, including a number of Landlords.

Its rather incredible that financial implications of the Coronavirus caused 1.3 Million evictions from the 23rd, to the 24th of March.

The annual number of evictions in 2019 for England and Wales was 67,775 ( of which, circa 14,500 were from the Private rented sector )

Lets look at vastly different figures quoted by Shelter, of 20,000 which the Executive of Opinium believes to be a more accurate representation ( having produced the wildly exaggerated number of 1.3 Million. )

Possession proceedings take from start ( service of notice ) to obtaining a Bailiffs warrant for eviction, on average between 5 and 8 months depending on the grounds being used. [ Section 8, or Section 21 ]

MHCLG have said when all current cases in the legal system, at whatever stage, were suspended on the 27th of March, the number of cases were 20,000. This figure is All cases in the Civil justice [sic] system at whatever stage, either the case papers having just been submitted with several months to Possession, to including cases where bailiffs were imminently about to physically evict. Some of the 20,000 cases would have been commenced up to 8 months or more previously.

Given that the Coronavirus did not become known until December in China and the first British casualties were from foreign travel -cruises around early February, I cannot see how 20,000 evictions occurred between early February and the end of March ( Two months )

If all 20,00 evictions commenced in February, none of them would have reached the court stage of Possession by this time, let alone all 20,000.

I note that FullFact asked Shelter where a spokesperson said,

” Anecdotal evidence ” plus our experience …researching Housing and Homelessness, and the ‘ private rented sector particularly ‘ tell us there has ‘ almost certainly ‘ been a spike in formal and informal evictions. ”

The definition of ‘anecdotal’ … ( of an account ) not necessarily true or reliable because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research.

Private rented sector ‘ particularly ‘ The Private rented sector accounts for 21% of eviction, the remainder being Social Housing. In 2019, the Total Private rented sector evictions in England and Wales was 14,500.

Almost certain = Paradox.

FullFacts are right to be suspicious of these ( 1.3 Million ) figures yet Shelter seem to justify those research responses as ” there seems to be some misunderstanding of the question by respondents and that perhaps the fear of not being able to afford to pay for their housing has in some cases got mixed up with actual eviction. ” !

If I understand the position, the campaign group Compassion in Politics commissioned the research by Opinium. Researchers generally tend to produce results they believe their funders want, yet even Opinium discredit their own research in favour of a drastically reduced figure by Shelter, whose credibility is also called into question.

The Left wing Daily Mirror publish what is patently evident to be flawed research results.

Shelter give a much smaller figure of evictions which also cant be substantiated, but choose to single-out ” private rented sector particularly ” when the undisputable statistics show that, particularly, its NOT the private rented sector.

Finally lets look at who commissioned and paid for this research, Compassion in Politics. Comprised of overwhelmingly Labour M.P.’s and supporting Public figures being mainly academics and journalists.

Supporting organisations include mainly Communist rather than Capitalist, amongst which are Generation Rent, the Equality trust and The Passage, a Homeless charity.

In writing about compassion, they explain that ‘people can do terrible things because they’re unwell or under a lot of psychological pressure. ‘

( but Most people who are unwell or under psychological pressure Don’t do terrible things – flawed rationale by Compassion in Politics who commissioned flawed research that sought discredited support from Shelter )

Possession Friend