The number of households considered newly homeless or at risk of becoming so has increased by 11.4% across England in the past year, according to government figures, a rise of almost 7,000 households.
Between April and June 2019, 68,170 households were initially assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. Of those, 32,220 households were deemed to be homeless – an increase of 23% on the same time period last year.
The number of households living in temporary accommodation at hostels, bed and breakfasts, hotels and elsewhere was already at its highest level since 2007, and rose by 1,500 to 86,130.
Almost 130,000 children dependent on their parents and carers live in temporary accommodation, across more than 60,000 of the households without permanent homes. More than 7,000 of these are in bed and breakfasts, up 3.2% from the same time last year.
At the end of June 2019, there were 13,450 households in temporary accommodation with shared facilities, widely considered the worst type of housing. This has increased by 40% in five years.
More than a quarter of these households have been accommodated in different local authority areas, with a large majority of these out-of-district placements from London councils.
The number of homeless households placed in a different council area has increased by 62% in five years and local authorities have been criticised for effectively forcing people away from their families and support networks.
Source: The Guardian
