‘Use Empty Homes To Tackle Homelessness Crisis’, Say Brits

Seven out of 10 Brits believe that empty properties should be used to tackle the homelessness crisis, according to research by GoodMove. There are 288,539 empty houses in Britain, 75% of which are in England, 16% of which are in Scotland and 9% of which are in Wales. Shelter estimates that one in every 200 people in the UK are homeless, and there are around 95,000 households in temporary accommodation. Read more on the Mortgage Strategy website.

https://www.mortgagestrategy.co.uk/news/use-empty-homes-to-tackle-homelessness-crisis-say-brits/ 

Nottingham Facing Homeless Crisis As Hundreds Need Beds

Nottingham City Council are seeing applications from local people who say they've been made homeless rising at a rapid rate. At the moment the authority is looking after 600 families and individuals in temporary accommodation, including hostels, leased houses and B&Bs. During lockdown, eviction notice periods were extended to six months as an emergency measure by the Government. Now the period is four months – and from October it will be two months. The Labour-run authority is already forecast to exceed the £890,000 budget it set to deal with homelessness. Read more on the planet radio website.

https://planetradio.co.uk/gem-106/local/news/nottingham-facing-homeless-crisis-hundreds-need-beds/ 

Metro Mayors Urge Government To Extend Housing First Scheme

 Mayors from the North West of England and the West Midlands have joined together to call for an extension of the Housing First pilot scheme to tackle homelessness. The scheme has been hailed successful so far, as it has provided secure tenancies for 812 participants. But the pilot is due to come to an end in 2022, prompting concerns about whether support for participants will be able to continue. Issuing a joint statement, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, West Midlands mayor Andy Street and Liverpool mayor Steve Rotheram collectively urged the government to expand the Housing First scheme to become national policy. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/metro-mayors-urge-government-to-extend-housing-first-scheme-71861?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Homelessness – Parliamentary Written Answer

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of homeless people living in England in each year since 2018.

Lord Greenhalgh: Levels of homelessness in England can be best estimated by looking at the number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of each year. In Q4 2018 this was 83,540; in Q4 2019 this was 88,310 and Q4 2020 is provisionally 95,370.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2021-06-09/HL944

Cut Of £40m In Help For Tenants Will ‘Drive Up Homelessness’

The government is cutting the funding it gives to councils in England and Wales to help struggling tenants by more than a fifth, with critics warning the move will drive up homelessness following the recent end of the Covid evictions ban and the end of the furlough scheme in September. Discretionary housing payments (DHPs) provide financial support to people claiming housing benefit or universal credit who face rent shortfalls or need assistance with payments such as rent deposits in order to move home. The government boosted DHP funding from £139.5m to £180m in 2020/21 amid the pandemic, but is now cutting that back to £140m in 2021/22 – a reduction of 22%. Read more on the Observer website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/jun/06/cut-of-40m-in-help-for-tenants-will-drive-up-homelessness 

Private Renters In England On ‘Cliff Edge’ As Eviction Ban Ends

Almost two million private renters fear they will be unable to find another property if they lose their home after the eviction ban is lifted, ministers are being warned. With the ban coming to an end this week, the government is facing demands for emergency legislation to increase the permanent protection for those struggling to pay their rent as a result of the Covid pandemic. Councils are also warning of a “cliff edge” of homelessness in the months ahead unless action is taken, with a potential £2.2bn bill for the state. Read more on the Observer website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/may/30/private-renters-in-england-on-cliff-edge-as-eviction-ban-ends

Unfair Evictions ‘Cost Councils £161m A Year’

Ending unfair evictions could reduce homelessness by 9% and save the public purse £161m a year, according to analysis by Generation Rent. Figures from the MHCLG show that out of 755,250 households made homeless or threatened with homelessness between April 2018 and December 2020, 140,950 (19%) had been in a private assured shorthold tenancy. The campaign group says that of these households, 68,430 households have faced homelessness after their landlord evicted them to sell or re-let the property or in retaliation for a complaint. Read more on the Yourmoney website.

https://www.yourmoney.com/mortgages/unfair-evictions-cost-councils-161m-a-year/

  

London Boroughs Fear ‘Summer Wave Of Homelessness’

Councils in London fear there will soon be a spike in homelessness in the capital due to the ongoing economic impact of the pandemic combined with the ending of government protections to prevent people losing their homes. Boroughs fear a spike in homelessness due to the “triple whammy” of high unemployment and rent arrears, the ending of the eviction ban and uncertainty over homelessness funding. Read more on Inside Housing.

Inside Housing - News - London boroughs fear ‘summer wave of homelessness’

Senior Tory Demands Ministers Take Action To Avoid Homelessness Crisis Before Eviction Ban Lifted

Ministers must take “urgent action” to avoid a fresh homelessness crisis when the Government lifts its moratorium on evictions next month, a senior Tory MP has warned.  Bob Blackman, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on ending homelessness, has urged the Government to avert a fresh spike in homelessness among “Generation Rent”. He said: “With seven per cent of the renting population of England and Wales now in rent arrears, when the moratorium on evictions comes to an end in June, it is likely that we’ll see rates of homelessness increase again unless urgent action is taken.” Read more on inews.

Senior Tory demands ministers take action to avoid homelessness crisis before eviction ban lifted (inews.co.uk)

Households In Temporary Accommodation Up 8% At Start Of 2021

Homelessness statistics published by the government reveal there were 95,370 homeless households in temporary accommodation at the end of December. This is 7,060 more than at the end of 2019 – a rise of 8%. The increase was driven by a 45% surge among single-adult households to 28,570, while the number of households with children in temporary accommodation fell by 4.6% to 59,670. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/households-in-temporary-accommodation-up-8-at-start-of-2021-70476?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Benefit System Increases Homelessness

 Homeless Link has published a report looking at the links between the benefits system and homelessness. The report concludes that a lack of available, affordable accommodation will make it difficult to move people on from emergency accommodation after the pandemic. A combination of the frozen Local Housing Allowance and the benefits cap means that people simply cannot afford the property that is available.  Download a copy of the report from the Homeless Link website.

https://www.homeless.org.uk/sites/default/files/site-attachments/hl_homelessness%2Bbenefits-london_FINAL-WEB%20%281%29.pdf

Rent Debt Crisis 'Could Lead To Homelessness'

Half a million renters could lose their home without financial help, debt charities, lenders and landlords have warned. These renters are under pressure from debt they've built up since the pandemic. A group of organisations has asked the government for a targeted support package to help struggling people. A spokesperson said the government had put in place schemes to support households. The group of organisations warned of renters losing their homes in the coming months, and a rise in homelessness, without more support. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56103280

Tens Of Thousands Made Homeless In UK

Tens of thousands in the UK have been made homeless since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic despite an ostensible government ban on tenant evictions. Since April this year, only eight months ago, over 46,000 people have been thrown out on the streets and another 45,000 left facing the same fate. These devastating figures were revealed by the Guardian through a Freedom of Information request. Responses from 204 local councils showed that 36,359 people had been threatened with homelessness since the pandemic started, 6,184 people had received Section 21 eviction notices, and a further 46,894 people had already been made homeless. Section 21 allow landlords to remove tenants with two months' notice once their fixed-term contract has ended, without giving a reason. Read more on the World Socialist website.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/11/23/home-n23.html

Homelessness: Veterans – Parliamentary Written Answer

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of people with no fixed abode are armed forces veterans.

Kelly Tolhurst: The annual Statutory Homeless Release for April 2019 to March 2020 showed that, of the total number of households assessed as owed a homelessness duty, 0.7 per cent had a support need relating to having served in Her Majesty’s armed forces.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-10-30/109443

Jenrick: Homelessness ‘More Of A Crisis Of Addiction And Mental Health’ Than Housing

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has been giving his views on tackling rough sleeping and homelessness in the country post-pandemic. Speaking at a Centre for Social Justice event, he said: “There is a lot to do and I need to get my other cabinet colleagues to support me as I don’t think this is just a housing crisis, this is also a crisis of mental health and addiction and there are also law enforcement issues. As well as trying to support people, we’ve got to take action against aggressive begging, gangs on the streets, individuals coming to this country to beg.” Read more on the HQN website.

https://hqnetwork.co.uk/news/jenrick-homelessness-more-of-a-crisis-of-addiction-and-mental-health-than-housing-4039 

Homelessness Spike Driven By Single Adults Needing Help

The number of households being classified as homeless by councils has jumped 15% in a year, driven by single adults needing accommodation, latest official figures have revealed. The government’s annual report on statutory homelessness revealed that the number of families and individuals owed a ‘relief duty’ after approaching a council rose to 139,800 in the year to the end of March 2020, up from 121,630 the previous year. The relief duty is owed to people that are already homeless when they contact a local authority needing help. The figures showed that 71% of the increase was due to a rise in single adults presenting as homeless. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/homelessness-spike-driven-by-single-adults-needing-help-new-official-figures-reveal--68085#:~:text=The%20'relief%20duty'%20is%20owed,single%20adults%20presenting%20as%20homeless 

Shift Homelessness Funding From Crisis Response To Prevention, Say ALMOs

Homelessness budgets should be shifted to focus on prevention measures rather than crisis response, the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) has said. In a new report by NFA, the body has said more funding should be put to the areas that ensure people do not end up on the streets in the first place. This includes removing benefit and Local Housing Allowance caps, providing targeted funding initiatives to employment initiatives and undertaking a significant escalation in the development of truly affordable social homes. Download the report from the NFA website.

http://www.almos.org.uk/document?id=8653

Coronavirus: MPs Warn Of 'Wave Of Homelessness' When Eviction Ban Ends

England could see "a new wave of homelessness" when a ban on evictions ends later this month, MPs have warned. The ban was introduced in March as part of emergency legislation to protect those hit financially by the pandemic. Amid fears that evictions may lead to more homeless, 21 MPs have urged the government to guarantee council funds to house rough sleepers for a year. The government said it would "continue to provide appropriate support" to those affected. New evictions in England and Wales had initially been suspended until 25 June, but the pause was extended to 23 August. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53797657

£105 Million To Keep Rough Sleepers Safe

Interim housing for thousands of rough sleepers taken off the streets during the pandemic is to be provided, ministers have announced. The additional £105 million will be used to support rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness into tenancies of their own, including through help with deposits for accommodation, and securing thousands of alternative rooms already available and ready for use, such as student accommodation. The funding takes the total amount provided this year by government to support rough sleepers and those on the brink of becoming homeless to over half a billion pounds. Read more on the Gov UK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/105-million-to-keep-rough-sleepers-safe-and-off-the-streets-during-coronavirus-pandemic

Homelessness: Coronavirus – Parliamentary Written Answer

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that no homeless person taken off the streets during the COVID-19 returns to living on the streets.

Lord Greenhalgh: The latest figures show that nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown period.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2020-05-19/HL4700