Labour: Cuts hit areas with the highest levels of homeless deaths hardest

Local government funding cuts are hitting areas with the highest levels of homeless deaths according to new Labour analysis.

Nine of the ten councils with the highest numbers of homeless deaths in the country (between 2013-2017) have seen cuts of over three times the national average cut of £254.

Birmingham, the seventh most deprived council in the country, which has seen the highest number of homeless deaths between 2013-2017 has had a cut in spending power per household of over £900 (£939.80).

The one off £30m pot of funding for immediate support for councils to tackle rough sleeping that James Brokenshire announced last year is a drop in the ocean compared to the cuts that councils have faced. 

Birmingham received £405k from the Government for immediate homelessness support this compared to a cut in spending power of over £358m, that’s 0.11% or 0.1p in in every £1 cut.

Commenting John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, said:

“These figures show that the areas with the highest homelessness deaths are facing the deepest cuts. This makes the prospect of reducing deaths ever more bleak.

“The Government’s £30m to reduce rough sleeping number has been pitiful so Britain’s homelessness crisis is set to continue.

“The next Prime Minister must put an end to this national shame of people dying on our street and back Labour’s plans to end rough sleeping and build thousands more affordable homes.”

Ends

Notes to editors

1. 1.   The analysis relates to the change in spending power per household between 2010-11 and 2019-20. According to the official MHCLG ‘guide to local government finance settlement in England’ spending power is:

“Spending power or revenue spending power is an estimate of the amount of funding available to each authority to spend on their core services. It is made up of estimated council tax and business rate income, Revenue Support Grant and New Homes Bonus plus a number of government grants excluding those for education and policing.”

A guide to the local government finance settlement in England, DCLG, December 2013, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266886/LGFS_Guide.pdf

1. 2.   Cuts compared to estimated total deaths between 2013-2017 - Five of the ten councils with the highest levels of homelessness in the country have seen cuts of over three times the national average cut of £254.

Labour party analysis based on House of Commons library research of local authority spending power 2010/11 and DCLG, core spending power, 29 January 2019, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2019-to-2020 and ONS, deaths of homelessness people in England and Wales-local authority estimates, 25 February 2019, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsofhomelesspeopleinenglandandwaleslocalauthorityestimates

1. 3.   In June last year James Brokenshire, the Housing Secretary, announced that a £30 million one off pot of money would be split 83 councils to allow support to be made available to help get people of the streets on help them into accommodation. 

MHCLG, 9 June 2018, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/james-brokenshire-announces-30-million-immediate-support-for-rough-sleepers

1. 4.   Cut in funding compared to the Government’s homelessness funding – Brokenshire’s one off £30m pot of funding is a drop in the ocean compared to the spending power cuts councils have already faced. Birmingham received £405k compared a cut in spending power of over £358m, that’s 0.11%.

Labour party analysis based on House of Commons library research of local authority spending power 2010/11 and DCLG, core spending power, 29 January 2019, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2019-to-2020 and ONS, deaths of homelessness people in England and Wales-local authority estimates, 25 February 2019, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/deathsofhomelesspeopleinenglandandwaleslocalauthorityestimates