Our Policy Manager Philippa Roussell responds to the Statutory homelessness in England Figures released by the DLUHC.
The latest statutory homelessness figures released paint a grim picture.
112,660 households in temporary accommodation – up 12% from the previous year.
5,790 households threatened with homelessness due to Section 21 evictions – up 11% from the previous year.
Urgent action is needed to tackle rising homelessness. We were promised the end to section 21 evictions. Instead we’re seeing record numbers of these evictions amidst delays and watering down of the Renters Reform Bill.
Meanwhile the number of people seen sleeping on the streets in London is up by a third from the previous year. That doesn’t even take into account hidden homelessness, which disproportionately affects women.
This year is when the government said it was going to end rough sleeping by. Instead we’re going in the opposite direction.
Lack of affordable housing is creating difficulties elsewhere in our homelessness system. If people can’t move on from temporary accommodation, we can’t free up spaces for the thousands of people who are currently sleeping rough in addition to all those facing homelessness for the first time.
The government needs to take this crisis seriously. During the pandemic, Everyone In proved that, with the right political will, we can solve rough sleeping. How high do the number of people sleeping on our streets need to go before we see that political will again?
