Homelessness is set to rise in the U.K., what can we do about it?

The scale of homelessness is notoriously hard to evaluate as it's not only rough sleeping that is taken into consideration. People in temporary accommodation, shelters or hostels are also recognised as being homeless.

Overall, Crisis estimated that around 227,000 people were experiencing the worst forms of homelessness with official figures considerably underestimated as they rely on single-night counts and estimates by local authorities. Lorita Johnson, the Salvation Army's Director of Homelessness Services said these figures need to be "met with caution"

"These government snapshot figures only cover who was sleeping rough on one particular night in England during the Autumn and therefore are limited and should be met with caution" Johnson said. "The Salvation Army is calling for reforms to data collection, and for more robust figures to be used to measure homelessness in England, much like the quarterly CHAIN figures for London, so we all have a true scale of reality of rough sleeping across the U.K.

Lord John Bird endorsed these claims and added that Shelter figures indicate that one-in-seventeen private renting households have either been served with an eviction notice or were likely to receive one - a total of more than 275,000. The homelessness charity's findings also show that 55,000 children and their families were evicted in the final 3 months of 2021. Some 14,000 landlords began court proceedings to evict tenants from their homes in the same period - an increase of 43% on the total in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, in nine out of ten areas in England, Local Housing Allowance does not cover the cost of a modest 2 or 3 bedroom home.

Lord Bird said "We have never had a period in modern history when so many people have been facing eviction, when so many people are deprived of the means of properly feeding their families or heating their homes. We would have to go back centuries in history to see anything on this scale"

What is being done to combat homelessness?

Lord Bird, who is the founder of The Big Issue magazine, welcomed an announcement from ministers who pledged £316m in homelessness prevention funding for councils in the next financial year to protect tens of thousands of people from homelessness following a joint campaign from The Big Issue and The Sunday Express. He now is unsure whether or not the move has done much to solve the problem. "Councils were given grants to prevent homelessness but where is that money? We cannot see it in magistrates court rooms of Britain where increasing numbers of repossession orders are being made." He added "We need to recognise that this is an emergency. Government says borrowing is the highest it has ever been due to covid, but we need to borrow in order to help people come out of this, otherwise we will ruin the education and life chances of millions of children and families".

Since their initial announcement of £316m to combat homelessness, the government have pledged a further £310m which councils will receive to support the prevention of vulnerable people becoming homeless. This will include:

• Funding will be targeted at areas with high numbers of homeless people, those at risk of homelessness, or those living in temporary accommodation.
• An increase of £47m on this year, bringing total funding to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping next year to more than £750m
• The Homelessness Reduction Act has already prevented and relieved over 270,000 households from becoming homeless.

Councils will receive additional government support to prevent vulnerable people becoming homeless.  The funding includes an additional £5.8 million to support people forced into homelessness by domestic abuse. This follows the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, which ensures councils give people who find themselves in this situation a “priority need” for assistance. he government’s Homelessness Prevention Grant will support households in England who are homeless or at risk of losing their home. Councils will use the funding to help them find a new home, access support for unexpected evictions and secure temporary accommodation where needed. The funding includes an additional £5.8 million to support people forced into homelessness by domestic abuse. This follows the landmark Domestic Abuse Act, which ensures councils give people who find themselves in this situation a “priority need” for assistance.

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For support on any of the issues raised, the following organisations may be able to help:

• https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/homelessness
• https://www.gov.uk/if-youre-homeless-at-risk-of-homelessness
• https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/homelessness

We also have a number of roles available for those who work within the housing sector which can be found here. Can't find what you're looking for? Call us today and ask to speak to the housing team who will happily register your interest and discuss any roles they may have available.

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