Only £3m Saved By Cutting Housing Benefit

Proposed cuts to housing benefit would save the public purse just £3m – not the £120m announced recently by David Cameron – and could force thousands of young people back on to the streets. In fact, research by Heriot-Watt University and campaign group End Youth Homelessness (EYH) shows that only 140 more young people than estimated need to become homeless for it to start costing the taxpayer.  Read more on the Centrepoint website.

Homelessness on Rise

Government figures report another rise in homelessness as new research published by homelessness charity Crisis warns that the situation is set to get worse. The Homelessness Monitor: Tracking the Impacts of Policy and Economic Change in England, commissioned by Crisis and undertaken by Heriot-Watt University and the University of York, warns that after years of stable or falling levels of homelessness, 2010 marked the turning point when homelessness in all its forms started to rise again. The research predicts that the worst is yet to come as the continuing economic downturn combined with the Coalition Government's radical reforms and weakening of the welfare state will leave many more people facing the threat or reality of homelessness. The new statutory homelessness figures released today by the CLG show that the number of homeless households owed an accommodation duty by their local authority ("acceptances") is up by 17% on the same quarter last year, to 11,820. This is from a total of 25,890 local authority homelessness assessment decisions - a 14% rise over the same period. These statistics are also the first since the Government cut Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit) for new claimants in April and shockingly, the figures show a 46% rise on the same period last year in the number of people being accepted as homeless as a result of their tenancy in the private rented sector ending. Read more and find a link to the research paper on the Crisis website.

Report Raises Doubts About Fixed-Term Tenancies in England

Government plans to bring in fixed-term tenancies to free up social housing have taken a knock after a report claims that where they have been introduced they aren't working. The news comes as the Localism Bill - which contains the reform - reaches the House of Lords. If legislated, councils could soon offer social housing on fixed-length terms (minimum of two years), with tenants' eligibility assessed at the end of the term to see if the home is still required. However, campaigners say it will stop tenants bettering themselves for fear of losing their home. The report which looked closely at the Australian model used in New South Wales (NSW) - which heavily influenced the Government’s policy - showed that less than 1% of fixed-term social tenancies have so far been terminated. There is now mounting pressure in NSW for the policy to be reviewed. Download a copy of the report from the Heriott Watt University website.