The government has released new figures on homelessness in England
today, which show: At the end of June 2020, 98,300 homeless
households were living in temporary accommodation, an unprecedented
rise of 7% in just three months from 92,190 households at the end
of March. And a rise of 14% in a year. Even with the...Request free trial
The government
has released new figures on homelessness in England
today, which show:
-
At the end
of June 2020, 98,300
homeless
households
were living in temporary accommodation, an unprecedented
rise
of 7% in just three
months
from 92,190
households at the end of
March. And a rise of
14%
in a
year.
-
Even with
the eviction ban in place, many people
were tipped
into homelessness. Between
April and
June 2020, 63,570 households
approached their local council and were found to be
homeless or at risk of homelessness.
-
17% of all
homeless households supported by their council with
temporary accommodation were placed into emergency B&Bs
and hostels (17,180).
-
The
number of
households in emergency
accommodation has increased
by
14%
in just three months
–
also
an
unprecedent rise.
Some
of which is likely
due
to
the
huge effort
made
by charities, councils and the government to get people off
the streets during the first phase
of the pandemic.
Polly Neate, chief
executive of Shelter said:
“No
one should have to battle
homelessness
during a global pandemic. But this
has
been
the grim
reality for increasing numbers
of
people this year. And as local lockdowns
continue
across
the country, many
people will be
facing
this nightmare
afresh.
“With the economic
effects
of the
pandemic starting to bite
and
unemployment
rising, tragically many
more people could find
themselves homeless in the months ahead. The Covid crisis has
magnified our housing
emergency, and exposed the deep cracks
left by the chronic shortage of social
homes. A safe, stable home means
everything right now, but we just don’t have enough of
them and people are suffering
terrible consequences as a result.
“If we don’t want the legacy
of this pandemic to be one of lasting homelessness,
then we need a Covid rescue plan for housing
and we need
it now. By investing
£12
billion over the next two
years, the government
could build an
extra 144,000 lower-cost homes, including 50,000
critically
important
social
homes.
These permanent
homes could
provide a way out of the misery of homelessness
and temporary
accommodation for thousands.”
-
Following
the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA)
in April 2018 the government (MHCLG) has changed the way it
collects data from local councils on statutory
homelessness. The HRA has given councils new duties to
assess, prevent and relieve homelessness for anyone who is
eligible for assistance.
-
The number
of households living in temporary
accommodation during the first
national lockdown is the number of households
that
were accommodated in
temporary accommodation by their local council
at the end of June 2020. We compared data from
2020 Q2 with data from 2019 Q2
and 2020
Q1. This is available at:
MHCLG, Live tables on homelessness, Statutory
homelessness live tables, Table TA1
-
The number
of households that were placed in
emergency B&Bs and hostels is the number of
households accommodated
in
B&Bs and
hostels at the end of June
2020. We compared data from
2020 Q2 with data from 2020 Q1. This is available
at: MHCLG,
Live tables on homelessness, Statutory
homelessness live tables, Table TA1
-
The number
of households
that
approached
their local council and were found to be homeless or at
risk of homelessness is the number of
households that were owed a prevention or relief duty by
their local council
from April
to June 2020. This is available at: MHCLG, Live tables on
homelessness, Statutory
homelessness live tables, Table A1
-
The
three
most common
triggers of homelessness during the initial
lockdown period are the
three
most common
reasons for loss, or threat of
loss, of households’ last settled
home between April and June
2020. 20,710
households
owed a
prevention or relief duty lost their last settled
home because they were no longer able to stay
with family or friends. The loss of a private
tenancy is the ending of an
assured
shorthold tenancy (AST). 7,090
households
owed a
prevention or relief duty lost their last settled
home because their AST ended. 7,170
households
owed a prevention or relief duty lost their last settled
home due to domestic abuse. This is available at:
MHCLG, Live tables on homelessness, Statutory
homelessness live tables,
Table
A2
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