The number of households living in temporary accommodation in Oxford has risen, a council report has said. Throughout 2010/11, there were people living in 156 temporary homes but since April, there have already been 163. The report said there had been a "massive downturn" in the availability of the private-rented properties available to people on housing benefit. Deputy leader of the Labour-run city council, Ed Turner, said it related directly to cuts in housing benefits. Leslie Dewhurst, the director of charity Oxford Homeless Pathways, which looks after single people made homeless, said: "The rate of housing benefit that is payable to private landlords is being reduced which means that a lot of private landlords are simply deciding not to let their properties to people on housing benefit. "Public sector spending cuts are beginning to really bite and certainly in Oxford we will see some big changes over the next year or so." Read more on the BBC website.
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