Homeless households in temporary accommodation up by 9% 14/10/2016

Latest figures on homelessness in England have been released.

For the Quarter period April to June 2016:

• the total number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of June was 73,120 - up 9% on the same quarter last year and up by a massive 52% on the low of 48,010 on 31 December 2010.
• 15,170 households were accepted as homeless between which is up by 3% over the previous quarter figure and 10% up on the figure of 13,840 for the same quarter in 2015.
• local authorities took action to prevent a further 50,990 households becoming homeless in the quarter. 

The end of an assured shorthold tenancy in the private rented sector has been an increasingly common cause of homelessness over the last six years rising from a low of 1,060 households in Quarter 4 of 2009 (11% of all cases) to 4,880 in Quarter 2 of 2016 (32% of all cases). While the number of households accepted as homeless as a result of mortgage arrears remains low, there is concern in the sector that if interests rates were to rise significantly this could see an increase in the number of owner-occupiers facing problems in meeting mortgage repayments.

ARCH CEO John Bibby commented:

"Yet again, official figures show that the number of households living in temporary accommodation continues to rise. 

The concern is that as stock retained councils have fewer and fewer properties becoming available to let each year and face the prospect of having to sell vacant council housing to fund payments to the government under the Housing and Planning Act to reimburse housing associations for Right to Buy discounts.

The number of households living in temporary accommodation (and the cost to the council general fund and council tax payer) will continue to rise unless councils are able to build more social rented housing to help those most in need. With councils effectively subsidising housing associations in reimbursing RTB discounts there is also a strong case for imposing a statutory duty to co-operate on housing associations requiring them to assist councils in securing accommodation for those households that have become homeless through no fault of their own."