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.