26 COMMENT Patrick Mooney


ADDRESSING THE HOUSING EMERGENCY


Patrick Mooney argues that post-appointment of a new PM, the case for building more social and aff ordable homes for rent has never been stronger.


FAILING TO ACT DECISIVELY COULD SPARK THE CONDITIONS FOR A FULL-BLOWN HOMELESSNESS CRISIS


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review of offi cial reports and statistics published over the summer has revealed the huge scale of pent up demand for new social rented housing, but as a topic it barely featured in the onservative arty leadership contest.


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The debates were dominated by differing approaches to tackling the cost of living crisis and boosting the economy. hether the new rime inister will support a maor investment in housebuilding by councils and housing associations remains to be seen, but the signs are not looking promising. ailing to act decisively though could spark the conditions for a fullblown homelessness crisis with tens of thousands of families forced out of their homes and facing a very uncertain future, while unscrupulous landlords rake in millions of pounds in rent and other charges for unsuitable properties that are in poor or unsafe conditions. t the end of arch, some , households were staying in temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfast


hotels or shortterm lets in the private rented sector. This included , families with children.


uring the previous three months a total of , households were assessed as homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, and owed a statutory duty for rehousing by local authorities. This represented an  per cent rise in three months, and a  per cent rise on the same period last year.


n the following three months another , households in the private rented sector were evicted from their homes by bailiffs in England  up  per cent on the previous uarter. any of these families will be added to the homeless fi gures and allocated to some form of temporary accommodation.


The housing campaign group and charity helter is warning that the total number of eviction proceedings is now back at pre pandemic levels, before the eviction ban took effect during the ovid lockdowns. dditional research by helter found that with soaring costs across the board, almost


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