Councils ‘Ripped Off’ By Private Landlords

Desperate councils are being “ripped off” as private housing providers take advantage of the growing homeless population, experts have warned, after new figures revealed that local authorities’ spending on temporary accommodation had soared to almost £1bn. Analysis by the Guardian and the housing charity Shelter found that councils across England spent £997m on temporary accommodation in 2017-18, a 71% increase on the £584m in 2012-13. Some councils are spending as much as £200 per head of their population on sheltering homeless households. Housing policy experts said that the sharp rise in homelessness coupled with increasing charges from private providers were behind the increase. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/01/councils-ripped-off-by-private-landlords-experts-warn