The government has released new figures on homelessness in
England today, which show:
-
At the end of December 2020, 95,370 homeless households
were living in temporary accommodation, an 8% increase in a
year (an additional 7,060 households)
-
Even with the eviction ban in place, tens of thousands of
people were tipped into homelessness last winter - 62,250
households approached their local council and were found to be
homeless or at risk of homelessness between Oct and Dec
2020.
-
One in six (17%) households were placed into emergency
B&Bs and hostels.
-
The three most common triggers of homelessness during the
period were households no longer being able to stay with
families and friends (32%), the loss of a private tenancy (13%)
and domestic abuse (12%).
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter,
said: “To say the last year has been
difficult for homeless families is a gross understatement, it’s
been atrocious. Months of lockdown and school closures spent in
cramped, shoddy temporary accommodation with no space to learn or
work, and often without access to basics like the internet or a
washing machine.
“The economic impact of the pandemic has exposed the true
cost of decades of failure to build the social homes we need.
More than 60,000 households were tipped into homelessness last
winter – even with the evictions ban. In just over a month the
ban on evictions is going to lift, and even more struggling
families could be faced with the same fate.
“Despite the clear danger that homelessness will rise, the
government remains focused on expensive homeownership schemes,
rather than anything resembling truly affordable housing. If the
government wants this country to recover quickly from the
pandemic, investing in a new generation of secure social homes is
an absolute must.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
-
95,370 households were reported as living in
temporary accommodation on 31st December 2020, compared to
88,310 on 31st December 2019. This is available at: MHCLG, Live
tables on homelessness, Statutory Homelessness
Live Tables, Table
TA1.
-
62,250 households approached their local council
and were found to be homeless or at risk of homelessness
between October and December 2020. This is available at: MHCLG,
Live tables on homelessness, Statutory Homelessness
Live Tables, Table
A1
-
10,510 households living in temporary accommodation
on 31st December 2020 were living in bed and breakfasts and
5,690 were living in hostels. This is available at: MHCLG, Live
tables on homelessness, Statutory Homelessness
Live Tables, Table
TA1.
-
The three most common triggers of homelessness are
the three most common reasons for loss, or threat of loss, of
households’ last settled home between October and December
2020. 19,820 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). 7,840
households owed a prevention or relief duty lost their last
settled home because their AST ended. 7,270 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
