Today, 13th October 2023, new
figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and
Communities show that households facing homelessness from the
private rented sector has now reached record levels across
England.
The statistics show that 24,260
households were served a s21 ‘no-fault eviction’ over the last
year, a 22% increase on the previous year. A further
42,110households needed help with homelessness because their
landlord wanted to relet or sell the property, a rise of 28%.
These figures are the highest recorded since the Homelessness
Reduction Act was introduced in 2018.
The ending of a private rented Assured
Shorthold Tenancy is now the biggest driver of homelessness,
accounting for 74,500 or 24.9% of households seeking support.
This is an increase of 27.3% from last year.
The past year has seen rents reach
record highs at a time when the cost of living crisis has piled
additional pressure onto struggling households. The chronic
shortage of housing combined with an unaffordable private rental
market has seen dramatic increases in the numbers of families and
individuals thrust into homelessness.
The figures show that:
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298,430 households received help
from their council because they were homeless or threatened
with homelessness. This is a 7% rise on the previous year, and
a 3% increase on pre-pandemic levels.
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There has been a 9% increase in the
number of households currently homeless who were in full or
part time work.
With an election on the horizon the
national homelessness charity Crisis is urging the Westminster
Government and all political parties to wake up to this
escalating situation and urgently commit to a plan to tackle
homelessness.
Responding to the statistics Matt Downie, Crisis Chief
Executive, said: “Record
numbers of households are facing homelessness from the private
rented sector because of the Westminster Government’s failure to
get a grip on our crumbling housing market.
“Through our services we see day in
day out the emotional and financial toll that comes with having
no secure roof over your head. With little to no affordable
housing to go around we’re seeing thousands trapped in temporary
accommodation like nightly paid B&Bs and hostels that costs
billions and doesn’t provide people with a secure place to
rebuild their life.
“With an election looming it’s time
for the Government to face up to this mounting crisis and bring
in the protections it promised renters in the Renters Reform Bill
more than four years ago. Alongside this, we must see investment
in housing benefit at the Autumn Statement so we can stop people
becoming homeless in the first place. But ultimately, we need a
plan to build more social housing if we’re going to end
homelessness once and for all.”
-Ends-
Notes to Editor
