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Cllr Martin Tett, the Local Government Association's Housing spokesman, responded to the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group to End Homelessness (APPGEH) on preventing homelessness

“Councils want to end homelessness and are already doing everything they can within existing resources to prevent and tackle it. There is no silver bullet and councils alone cannot tackle rising homelessness.

“Care and prison leavers need support, as do the many others affected by rising rates of homelessness. Faced with rising housing costs, funding cuts and wide-ranging welfare reforms, it is increasingly challenging for councils to resolve increasing homelessness.

"Homelessness is everyone’s responsibility – it is crucial that national and local health, justice, employment and welfare partners work positively with councils to prevent it happening in the first place.

“Councils are doing all they can. On the day this report is released, we’ve launched our Housing Advisers Programme which will provide support to councils looking to innovate and improve in their efforts to help reduce homelessness.

“There is, however, no shortcut to the real solution to this problem. Councils need the powers, and access to funding, which will enable them to resume their historic role as a major builder of affordable homes. That means being able to borrow to invest in housing, and keep 100 per cent of the receipts from any homes they sell, to replace them and re-invest in genuinely affordable homes.”

Report:  All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness: Report 2017 (PDF)