Policy Revolution Needed to Stem the Rising Tide of Homelessness

For too long, housing has been the Cinderella sector. Successive governments have failed to increase supply while demand continued to rise. Now, the economic downturn is taking its toll and the price is a rising tide of homelessness and misery. CLG figures reveal that more than 50,000 homeless households met the strict criteria to be housed by their local council over the 2011/12 financial year – a 14% increase on the previous year and a worrying 26% rise on 2009/10. There has also been a 44% increase in those housed in bed and breakfast accommodation – lives on hold in unsuitable conditions at huge expense to the taxpayer. Sadly, this does not come as a surprise, and it seems likely that the worst is still to come. Independent research predicts that the economic downturn combined with the radical reforms and weakening of welfare protections will leave many more people facing homelessness. Read more on the Guardian website.