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Councils report rise in residents at risk of homelessness


Nine out of 10 councils have warned that an increasing number of people on the lowest incomes will become homeless because the benefits freeze means they cannot afford to pay their rent. Cuts made to Local Housing Allowance and


other benefits in recent years means those who need it most are not able to cover their housing costs, according to a report from housing charity Crisis, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Heriot-Watt University. The charity asked 167 English local


authorities about their experiences of dealing with homelessness. Seven out of 10 reported a rise in demand for their homelessness services in the past year alone. More than three- quarters of councils in the North and the Midlands reported a rise in the need for their services, as well as 80 per cent across London. One said the freeze to LHA in 2016 had


been “a huge factor in the increase in homelessness, pushing families into a position where they cannot afford the private sector”. Others reported that the mismatch between LHA and market rents was growing, and that the problems had been exacerbated by the roll-out of Universal Credit. Crisis and JRF called for the Government to


restore rates in UC to ensure they fully cover the cost of rent and in the long term make major investment in social housing. Nearly 90 per cent of local authorities surveyed for the report said there is not enough housing in their area for those who need it. Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said:


“Everybody deserves a safe and stable home to build their lives in, but it’s clear from councils that the growing gap between private rents and Local Housing Allowance is leaving far too many people at risk of becoming homeless, and keeping those already experiencing it trapped in a cycle of destitution.”


which has been labelled a “national disgrace”. A total of 83,700 households were in temporary


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accommodation at the end of last year, a five per cent increase on the previous year and at its highest level in more than 11 years. Almost three quarters of these households included dependent children. Some 6,940 households were being put up in Bed


& Breakfast hotels, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year-end. Of these, 2,420 households included children with 810 of these households staying longer than the six-week statutory limit. Commenting on the figures, Chartered Institute


of Housing deputy chief executive, Gavin Smart, said: “These figures reveal the stark reality of our homelessness crisis. It is quite simply a national disgrace that over 124,000 children are stuck in temporary accommodation, including B&Bs. “The Government must make sure that councils


have the resources they need to properly support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.” He called on Ministers to increase the building of


affordable homes and ensure the welfare system properly supports families on lower incomes. “For many people on lower incomes, the only truly affordable option is social rent, but our analysis shows that more than 165,000 homes for social rent were lost between 2012 and 2018.”


The charity asked 167 English local authorities about their experiences of dealing with homelessness. Seven out of 10 reported a rise in demand for their homelessness services in the past year alone


CRAMPED AND UNSAFE Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive at Crisis, said: “B&B’s are no place to call home. They’re often cramped or sub-standard and sometimes even dangerous. What’s worse is more and more people are becoming trapped in these B&Bs for months or even years at a time with no hope of moving on, in


18 | HMM June/July 2019 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


he growing homelessness problem has resulted in record numbers of people in temporary accommodation, an outcome


Some 6,940 households were being put up in Bed & Breakfast hotels, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year-end. Of these, 2,420 households included children


part because Local Housing Allowance (LHA) no longer covers the true cost of renting in large parts of the country.” More positively the statistics also showed that


homelessness has been prevented for 39,640 households since the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force last year. The number of people owed duties by councils


under the Act fell at the end of 2018 for the first time since the new law was introduced. In total, 61,410 households were owed either a prevention or relief duty under the legislation. This was 8.3 per cent down from the 66,960 households in the previous quarter. Mr Sparkes added: "The Homelessness Reduction


Act, which places an increased duty on councils to prevent and resolve people’s homelessness, has great potential, but can only work alongside further measures that tackle the root causes of the issue. That’s why we need to see Government bring LHA back in line with market rents. It will help to stop people becoming homeless in the first place and give those stuck in temporary accommodation the chance to access the safe and stable homes they need to move on with their lives.”


Crisis revealed in record homelessness figures


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