Homelessness Costs Government 'Millions'

Councils in England spend nearly £345 million on homelessness a year, a CLG paper reveals.  Local authorities spend around £100 million on temporary accommodation and £70 million on homelessness prevention, according to 2010/11 forms English councils returned to CLG on housing services revenue.  The department has highlighted the costs of homelessness in an evidence review which is a basis for further research and analysis on the financial cost of homelessness.  It also points to a Department of Health 2010 study that suggests the cost of homelessness to the NHS is £64 million a year, with homeless people 3.2 times more likely than the general population to be an inpatient admission.  Although, it notes, the health figures only cover hospital admissions and accident emergency attendances which are ‘likely to represent only a small fraction of the total costs to health services’.  Download a copy of the review from the CLG website.