Posts with tag: causes of homelessness

Housing Crisis is Very Real, Insists Homelessness Charity

Published On: October 2, 2015 at 2:43 pm

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Categories: Landlord News

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Earlier this week, Simon Jenkins wrote on The Guardian website that the housing crisis is not real and “there is no solution” to it.

Housing Crisis is Very Real, Insists Homelessness Charity

Housing Crisis is Very Real, Insists Homelessness Charity

He stated: “As in all political crises, there are tribal myths and economic realities. When the myths win, policy degenerates into chaos and counter-productivity.”

He then simply stated that one of the myths is, “That there is a housing ‘crisis’. There is none.”

Read more of the story here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/30/housing-crisis-policy-myth-realities

Now, the Chief Executive of homelessness charity Crisis, Jon Sparkes, has responded to the piece.

He begins: “Simon Jenkins is mistaken on a number of points. The housing crisis is very real: we see the worst effects of it everyday, and not just in London.

“Since 2010, all forms of homelessness in England have risen. Rough sleeping has increased by 55%, while thousands are forced to live in precarious and dangerous conditions just to keep a roof over their heads. If this isn’t a crisis, what is?”

He then addresses the private rental sector: “Private renting in England is failing to provide people with homes that are decent, safe, secure and affordable. Too many people are living in appalling conditions – almost a third of privately rented homes fail to meet the Government’s decent homes standard.

“Compared to other parts of western Europe, tenants in England have very little security. Many can be evicted from their homes with little notice and with no duty on the landlord to prove they are at fault.”

He insists: “With rising rents and severe cuts to housing benefit, the loss of a private rented home is now the leading cause of homelessness. This is unacceptable. Our politicians can and must do something about it.

“We need decisive action to make the private rented sector more accessible and affordable, along with radical solutions to tackle the severe shortage of affordable homes. At the same time, we must have a real safety net for anyone finding themselves in difficulty.”1 

1 http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/01/the-housing-crisis-is-by-no-means-a-myth

Rise in Homelessness Caused by the PRS

Published On: September 25, 2015 at 12:57 pm

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Categories: Landlord News

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A recent rise in homelessness was predominantly caused by tenancies coming to an end in the private rental sector, reveals Government data.

Between April and June this year, 13,850 households were classed as homeless, a 5% increase across England and a 10% rise in London compared to the same period last year. This is a total surge of 36% since 2009-10.

Rise in Homelessness Caused by the PRS

Rise in Homelessness Caused by the PRS

Of this figure, 63% were placed in temporary accommodation.

On 30th June, the total number of households living in temporary accommodation was 66,980, a 12% rise on the same date in 2014.

The proportion of households finding themselves homeless due to their tenancy ending was 30%, or 4,130 families, in England and 38%, or 1,690, in the capital.

The end of a tenancy has become an increasingly common cause of homelessness, increasing from 11% of all cases in 2009 to 29% in 2014.

This growth has been witnessed alongside a doubling in the size of the private rental sector over the last decade.

Chief Executive of Crisis, Jon Sparkes, comments on the data: “Homelessness rose by 5% between April and June compared to the same time last year. Nearly a third of these people became homeless following the ending of a private tenancy. This is totally unacceptable and reflects the desperate state of our private rented sector.

“Homelessness has risen by 36% in the last five years. We cannot ignore the reality behind these numbers. Thousands of people across the country are struggling to keep a roof over their heads in a housing market that is no longer fit for purpose, while cuts to housing benefit and homelessness services have left the safety net in tatters.

“Our politicians can and must do something about this. We need housing benefit that actually covers the cost of renting, a much stronger focus on preventing homelessness, and a change in the law so that no one is forced to sleep rough.

“At the same time, we need decisive action to make the private rented sector more accessible and affordable, along with radical solutions to tackle the severe shortage of affordable homes.”1 

Between 1st April and 30th June, 6,980 homeless families were offered local council or housing authority accommodation.

Also, 550 households accepted accommodation in the private rented sector, up from 450 in the same quarter last year.

1 http://www.crisis.org.uk/pressreleases.php/678/5-rise-in-homelessness-reveals-desperate-state-of-private-renting-sector