Homelessness: Coronavirus – Parliamentary Written Answer

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps they are taking to provide people experiencing homelessness with units to self isolate during the covid-19 outbreak.

Luke Hall: The vast majority of rough sleepers known to local authorities have now been made offers of safe accommodation – ensuring some of the most vulnerable in society are protected from the pandemic. This includes those rough sleeping or who have been living in accommodation with communal sleeping spaces such as night shelters.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-03-25/34975

Government Announces Funding Of £3.2 Million To Help Rough Sleepers To Self-Isolate

The Government has announced initial emergency funding of £3.2 million to help people who are sleeping rough to self-isolate during the Coronavirus outbreak. The funding will be available to all local authorities in England and will reimburse them for the cost of providing accommodation and services to those sleeping on the streets to help them successfully self-isolate to prevent the spread of the virus. Read more on Homeless Link.

https://homeless.org.uk/connect/news/2020/mar/18/government-announces-initial-emergency-funding-of-%C2%A332-million-to-help

Housing Associations Under Pressure To Offer Covid-19 Rent Holidays

Housing associations are under pressure to offer rent holidays after only one pledged not to evict any tenant in arrears due to self-isolating because of the coronavirus. Millions of people live in 2.4m homes let by housing associations across England, Scotland and Wales. Rents are expected to rise by 2.7% from next month and there are fears many people will be unable to pay after losing work or due to being in self-isolation. The Labour party has urged the government to ban the eviction of tenants whose income has been hit by the outbreak and to allow rent deferrals. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/17/housing-associations-under-pressure-to-offer-covid-19-rent-holidays