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We must not become desensitised to high levels of homelessness

Homeless Link responds to the Government’s homelessness statistics for Q2 2017

Older man leaning against a wall

There were 78,180 households in temporary accommodation at the end of June 2017, up 7% from a year earlier, according to the Department for Communities and Local Government statutory homelessness statistics, released today.

Other key statistics include:

  • The number of households accepted as homeless by local authorities in Q2 was 14,400, which is down 1% on the previous quarter, and a decrease of 5% from the same quarter last year. Acceptances made up 52% of total applications.
  • Of the 78,180 households in temporary accommodation:
  • 60,550 included dependent children and/or a pregnant woman
  • 22,050 or 28% are living outside of their local area. This is an increase of 7% on the same period last year.
  • The main cause of homelessness was the end of an assured shorthold tenancy, accounting for 30% of cases in England and 34% in London. This indicates that affordability and the increase in the size of the private rented sector remain substantial issues.
  • Local authorities acted to prevent and relieve homelessness for 54,270 households in Q2, down 1% on the same quarter in 2016.

Homeless Link's Chief Executive, Rick Henderson, commented:

“A raft of issues is conspiring to cause the homelessness of thousands of people across the country, in a situation that is not improving. Yet again we’ve seen the impact that Welfare reform, including the freezing of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), and the broken housing market is having on the numbers of people at risk of homelessness and losing their homes.

“We must not become desensitised to this serious problem, or forget that these high numbers represent people’s lives in turmoil. We can and must act to prevent and end homelessness, and with their party conference less than a week away, the Government must take the opportunity to tackle the reasons why homelessness continues to rise. We urge the Government to support the Homelessness Reduction Act with a well-resourced, cross-departmental homelessness strategy, that addresses the root causes of homelessness and achieves noticeable progress for the vulnerable people it affects.”

Please click on the following link for the Government statistics for Statutory homelessness and homelessness prevention and relief, England: April to June 2017.

Statutory homelessness Q2 2017 analysis

A breakdown of the statutory homelessness figures for April to June 2017.

Downloads

 

Channel website: http://www.homelesslink.org.uk

Original article link: http://www.homeless.org.uk/connect/news/2017/oct/03/we-must-not-become-desensitised-to-high-levels-of-homelessness

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