Number of homeless households jumps by 16%

A total of 44,760 households were recorded as homeless and owed a relief duty in the final three months of last year, the latest government figures have revealed.

This marks a 16% rise in homelessness cases compared to the same period in 2022, when 38,650 households were owed a homelessness relief duty.

London and the North-west were the regions with the highest homelessness figures in England.

In London, there were 9,860 households identified as homeless, and in the North-west, 7,050 cases of homelessness were recorded.

The figures, published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) yesterday, showed that 112,660 households were living in temporary accommodation between October and December last year. The figure includes over 145,800 children.

This is an increase of 12% on the same period last year and an increase of 98% on 2013.

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Figures from the Local Government Association in October last year indicated that temporary accommodation would cost councils at least £1.74bn in 2022/23.

A recent survey by the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA) found that one in ten councils has considered issuing an s114 ‘bankruptcy’ notice this year, while nearly one in five (20%) said they may have to do so next year.

Meanwhile, government statistics on rough sleeping released on Monday, showed that there were 3,898 rough sleepers on a single night in autumn 2023, up from 3,069 in autumn 2022.

In November, the government announced plans to crackdown on the use of tents by rough sleepers and criminalise “nuisance” behaviour by introducing strengthened enforcement powers for police and councils through the Criminal Justice Bill. 

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter said: “Decades of failure to build enough genuinely affordable social homes has left families struggling to cobble together extortionate sums every month to keep a roof over their heads. Those who can’t afford private rents are being thrown into homelessness and then left for months and even years in damaging temporary accommodation because there is nowhere else.

She added: “With a General Election approaching, it’s time for all politicians to show voters they are serious about ending the housing emergency. To dramatically reduce homelessness, we need every party to commit to building 90,000 social homes a year for ten years, and an overhaul of the Renters (Reform) Bill so that it delivers genuine safety and security for private renters.”

Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis said that the statistics “need to be a wakeup call”.

Downie added: “The UK government is focused on a plan to fine and imprison people for being without a home. This won’t help people forced to sleep on our streets. It won’t help the families stuck in dingy hostels and B&Bs, from where they must travel hours to get to work, and their children have no room to play. And it won’t help councils facing bankruptcy because of our repeated failure to build more genuinely affordable homes.”

Darren Rodwell, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “As these figures show, more and more people are having to turn to their local councils for homelessness support. Councils continue to work incredibly hard to prevent homelessness, as well as help those affected.

“To tackle rising homelessness, the building of affordable homes must be prioritised.”

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “We want everyone to have a safe place to call home, which is why we’re giving councils £1.2 billion so that they can give financial support to those who need it, helping them to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation. At the same time, we’ve boosted the local housing allowance, giving the 1.6 million private renters in receipt of housing benefit or universal credit an additional £800 to help towards rental costs.”

“Temporary accommodation is a vital safety net to make sure families are not left without a roof over their heads, but councils must make sure it is suitable for families who have a right to appeal if it’s not.”