Social Housing Crisis Builds As Government Passes The Buck

Thousands of homeless children are growing up in cheaply converted shipping containers and cramped rooms in former office blocks; 130,000 families in England are being crammed into one-bedroom flats; and social housing residents of a block of flats in east London engulfed in flames say they are being forced to move back despite safety fears. These are just a few recent examples of how the UK housing crisis is affecting the country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. But how much notice is the prime minister, Boris Johnson, taking? He has made spending pledges for the NHS and police, but there is little to suggest Johnson will address the UK’s shortage of truly affordable homes for rent. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/sep/25/social-housing-crisis-builds-government-passes-buck

Homeless Children Put Up In Shipping Containers

Thousands of homeless children are growing up in cheaply converted shipping containers and cramped rooms in former office blocks, putting their health and wellbeing at serious risk, according to the children’s commissioner for England. Anne Longfield said it was scandal that at least 210,000 young people in homeless families in England were put up by councils in temporary housing and bed and breakfasts or forced to “sofa-surf” with friends, often for long periods. Such accommodation could be unsafe, disruptive and overcrowded, with no room for children to play or do homework. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/21/homeless-children-put-up-in-shipping-containers-report-says

Over 123,000 Children ‘Spent Their School Holidays Homeless’

More than 123,000 children and their families have spent their school holiday homeless, an increase of around 53,000 since the summer holidays of 2011. The Local Government Association (LGA) is warning the numbers of homeless children councils are housing in temporary accommodation has increased by 76% in the last seven years. Councils, who since 2011, have been housing an additional 650 homeless children every month – the equivalent of an additional primary school’s worth of children every fortnight – are calling on the Government to adapt welfare reforms and allow councils to borrow to build new homes, with the right infrastructure, to tackle the housing shortage. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/over-123000-children-spent-their-school-holidays-homeless/

Homelessness Up 65% Since 2010

Official statistics show that 79,190 households were in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2017, including 121,360 homeless children. That is a 6% rise in the number of households in temporary accommodation from the same date in 2016, and the highest level since 31 December 2007 – before the economic crash. It also indicates homelessness has risen 65% since the low of 48,010 at the end of 2010. Of those in temporary accommodation, 11,800 households had shared facilities, with 6,400 in B&Bs including 2,660 families with children. Download the statistics from the CLG website.

Councils House Secondary School's Worth Of Homeless Children Each Month

The Local Government Association said latest figures show councils are currently providing temporary housing for 120,540 children with their families, which is a net increase of 32,650 (37 per cent) since the second quarter of 2014, an average of 906 extra children every month. There are 946 pupils in an average secondary school. Placements in temporary accommodation can present serious challenges for families – from parents’ employment and health to children’s ability to focus on school studies and form friendships. The LGA said the current situation is now unsustainable. Read more on the LGA website.

More Than 100,000 Children In England Will Be Homeless At Christmas

Over 100,000 children in England will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation according to the latest Government figures on homelessness. The statistics show that on 30 September 2016 there were 74,630 households in temporary accommodation, up 9% on a year earlier, and up 55% on the low of 48,010 on 31 December 2010. Almost 80% (59,210) of those included dependent children and/or a pregnant woman with an average of two children in each household.  The figures for the third quarter of the year also revealed that 6,680 households were in bed and breakfast style accommodation and 51% of those included dependent children or expected children of which 1,300 had been resident for more than six weeks. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Over 120,000 Children Will Wake Up Homeless This Christmas

Over 120,000 children in Britain face spending Christmas homeless and in temporary accommodation, the highest level recorded since 2007. The number of families living in emergency B&B and hostel rooms has risen by a worrying 18% in just a year. Shelter carried out in-depth interviews with 25 families currently or recently living in emergency B&B’s, hostels or sofa-surfing. Findings included:

·         Over 75% of families said they felt their accommodation was unsafe

·         Every family lived in a single room without any space for the children to play

·         60% had to share toilet and bathroom facilities

·         More than 67% said their room was in a state of disrepair, including mould, broken beds and stained mattresses

Read more on the Shelter blog.

Homeless Children Up By 60 Per Cent Since The Conservatives Came To Power

The number of homeless children has risen by nearly 60 per cent since the year the Conservatives came to power, official figures suggest. According to data collated by CLG there are now 114,930 children living in temporary accommodation every night. This figure is up by 58 per cent since 2010, when David Cameron came to power. The number of families with children declared homeless are similarly up by 70 per cent – with such families now making up two thirds of homeless cases. Read more on the Independent website.

Policy Targeting Homeless Families Is 'Tantamount To Social Cleansing’

Charities and politicians are demanding urgent changes to housing policy across Britain and warning that thousands of homeless children's lives may be at risk because they are disappearing from support services after being rehoused. The calls come after an investigation by The Independent uncovered cases of homeless children dying from neglect and abuse after families were moved out of their local authority boundaries. Other evidence in the report suggested that the transfer of homeless families to other parts of the country could have resulted in suicides and miscarriages. Figures obtained exclusively by The Independent show that at least 64,704 homeless families were moved out by London boroughs between July 2011 and June 2015, with more recent data yet to be collated. Read more on the Independent website.

Labour Attack On Cameron Over 'Soaring Levels Of Homelessness'

Soaring levels of homelessness since David Cameron took the keys to No 10 have left thousands more children facing Christmas in hostels and rough sleepers out on the streets, Labour has warned. The number of households classed as homeless has risen by more than a third in England since 2010 - and is on course to have nearly doubled by the next general election, according to analysis by the party. Labour accused the Prime Minister of presiding over a "crisis" in homelessness despite his claims in opposition that it was a "disgrace" that people were forced to sleep on the streets. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said there had been " five years of failure on homelessness under this Government". Read more on the Daily Mail website.

Homelessness Among Children Rises By 15,000

The number of homeless children and young people in the UK has risen by 15,000 over the past year, it has emerged.  Homelessness charity Shelter analysed latest figures on the use of temporary accommodation by families across England, Wales and Scotland. This shows that at the end of September 2015, there were 105,251 children living in temporary accommodation across the three countries, about 15,000 more than in September 2014. The use of bed and breakfast accommodation has also risen. The use of this form of accommodation rose 25 per cent, from 2,154 families with children at the end of June 2014 to 2,700 at the end of June 2015.  Since June 2010, when the figure stood at 817, the number of families with children living in bed and breakfast accommodation has trebled.  Read more on the Children & Young People Now website.

100,000 Children Will Be Homeless This Christmas

100,000 children will be homeless this Christmas but councils have a duty to find children that have nowhere to live somewhere to sleep. Councils do their best but don’t have enough affordable housing and are only building half the homes needed each year, while the number of genuinely affordable homes falls. Combined with growing house prices, the shortage of affordable homes pushes more families into the private rented sector. The single leading cause of homelessness is the end of private tenancies. There’s nothing in law that stops landlords asking families to leave come the end of their short-term fixed tenancy. What makes it all harder is growing rent costs – combined with cuts to social security. They’ve removed the safety net that many low-income families need to cover costs. Read more on the Shelter blog.

Shadow Chancellor Promises Action On Homeless Families

Labour will provide accommodation for 100,000 children in homeless families, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has pledged. Speaking at the annual Labour Party conference in Brighton, McDonnell said ongoing austerity measures are hitting families hard. He said austerity is “not just a word” for the 100,000 children in homeless families who live in bed and breakfast or temporary accommodation. On behalf of this party I give those children my solemn promise that when we return to government we will build you all a decent and secure home in which to live,” he said. Figures published last week show that, as of the end of June, 66,980 individuals or families were registered as having no home of their own - an increase of 12 per cent from the same date last year.

A total of 99,080 children were among those living in temporary accommodation.   Read more on the Children & Young People Now website.

Homelessness Crisis: One in 25 London Children Lives In Temporary Accommodation

One in 25 children in London is homeless. More than 72,000 young people have no permanent home, with many living in cramped conditions in emergency hostels and B&Bs. The government figures show four per cent of children are now living in temporary accommodation — a rise of 25 per cent in three years. It means 80 per cent of all homeless children in England are in the capital. In some boroughs, including Haringey and Westminster, the figure is as high as one in 10. Campaigners said they demonstrated the scale of inequality in London, which is also home to hundreds of thousands of millionaires. Read more on the Evening Standard website. 

Councils ‘Fail To Protect Young Homeless People’

Children are being left at risk of sexual exploitation because councils are turning them away when they are homeless, a damning report has claimed. A study found that many councils are failing to fulfil their statutory duty to help young people. Under the Children Act 1989 local authority children’s services departments must assess the needs of any child in their area who is homeless or at risk of homelessness, and take them into care if there is no parent or other carer able to provide suitable accommodation. The report claims many children seeking help were either turned away or offered inadequate support.   Read more on the Children & Young People Now website.

90,000 Children in Britain to Face Christmas Homeless

90,000 children in Britain – the equivalent of three in every school – will spend this Christmas homeless, government figures show. With their helpline already stretched to breaking point, Shelter are launching an emergency appeal in response. The figures also show that the number of homeless families living in B&Bs has almost doubled in three years. This is particularly alarming following the shocking results of a Shelter investigation into living conditions in B&Bs. The in-depth investigation into 20 families found that well over half felt unsafe in their temporary accommodation, with parents reporting exposure to drug and alcohol abuse, fighting, swearing and racist language. Read more on the Shelter website.

90,000 Children in Britain to Face Christmas Homeless

90,000 children in Britain – the equivalent of three in every school – will spend this Christmas homeless, government figures show. With their helpline already stretched to breaking point, Shelter are launching an emergency appeal in response. The figures also show that the number of homeless families living in B&Bs has almost doubled in three years. This is particularly alarming following the shocking results of a Shelter investigation into living conditions in B&Bs. Read more on the Shelter website.

80,000 Children Facing Homelessness This Christmas

A Shelter investigation today reveals ‘shocking’ conditions experienced by homeless families, as government figures show that 80,000 children in Britain will be homeless this Christmas. For many this means emergency housing in B&Bs, where children face particularly difficult conditions. Almost half of the families interviewed reported children witnessing disturbing incidents, including open drug use and threats of violence. One child was directly threatened by a man in her B&B after an argument over a shared bathroom. The majority of families interviewed said they felt unsafe in their emergency accommodation. Read more on the Shelter website.

Councils Illegally Housing Teenagers in B&Bs

Over 100 local authorities in England illegally placed homeless children in bed and breakfast hotels last year, BBC Newsnight has discovered. Statutory government guidance makes clear that 16 and 17 year olds should not be housed overnight in a B&B "even on an emergency accommodation basis".

But 119 of 208 councils that replied to Newsnight Freedom of Information requests said they had done so in 2012.  Councils say there is often little alternative, especially in a crisis. Read more on the BBC website.