14 December 2023 , 13:23
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Homelessness in England is at a record high, and will see hundreds of thousands of people spending Christmas in bed and breakfasts, hostels and other emergency housing this year.
New research from national housing charity Shelter has revealed that 309,000 people will spend the festive period without a home, including almost 140,000 children. Then figure is a stark increase of 14% - or 38,100 people - in one year.
Meanwhile, over 3,000 people are sleeping rough on any given night (26% increase) and 279,400 are living in temporary accommodation (14% increase) - most of whom are families.
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There are also 20,000 people in hostels or supported accommodation. The report, which analyses official homelessness figures and responses to Freedom of Information requests, reveals that Newham in London has the highest rate of homelessness in the country. In the borough, an estimated 17,234 people are homeless, or one in every 20.
Evicted family seeking help 'stranded' inside council office after staff go home
The government’s own figures also reveal that almost half (47%) of families who are homeless in temporary accommodation have been there for more than two years. Councils have a legal duty to house families and people who are vulnerable, but Shelter says the acute shortage of affordable homes means they are having to rely on temporary accommodation for long periods.
The growing emergency is leaving families stuck for months in “grotty hostels, B&Bs and cramped bedsits”, often having to share beds with no, or inadequate, cooking and laundry facilities. The charity adds that people not entitled to accommodation may end up on the streets, sofa-surfing or in dangerous living conditions.
Shelter say their frontline services are dealing with the grim reality of rising homelessness every day from supporting families crammed into a one-room B&B with mouldy walls and bed bugs, to providing emergency assistance to people faced with a night on the streets.
What is homelessness like in your area (Getty Images) The charity has launched an urgent appeal calling on the public to help it be there for people experiencing homelessness this winter.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Homelessness is on nobody’s Christmas list, but 309,000 people will spend this time of year in a tiny hostel room or freezing in a doorway. The housing emergency is out of control. Chronic underinvestment in social homes has left people unable to afford skyrocketing private rents and plunged record numbers into homelessness.
"It is appalling that the government has allowed thousands of families to be packed into damp and dirty B&B’s and hostel rooms, which are traumatising children and making people desperately ill. Until the government takes this emergency seriously, our frontline services will do everything they can to help people keep or find a safe home this winter.
"It is only with the public’s support that we can continue to provide vital advice and support and fight for the solutions people want and need to end homelessness. To donate to Shelter’s Urgent Appeal, visit shelter.org.uk/donate.”
While Shelter’s analysis is the most comprehensive overview of recorded homelessness in England, they add that the true figure is likely to be higher as some types of homelessness, like sofa-surfing, go entirely undocumented.
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokeswoman said: “Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That’s why we are spending £2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, including making £1 billion available so councils can give financial support for people to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation.
“Temporary accommodation is an important way of making sure no family is without a roof over their head, but councils must ensure it is temporary and suitable for families, who have a right to appeal if it doesn’t meet their household’s needs. Through our Rough Sleeping Strategy, we will continue to work to end rough sleeping completely.”