300,000 households across Britain could be homeless next year if government does not urgently change course
Over 300,000 individuals and families across Britain could be forced into homelessness next year if there is no change to current U.K. government policy, with thousands suffering the worst forms of homelessness including sleeping on the streets, sofa surfing, and living in temporary accommodation such as hostels and B&Bs.
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"In the long term, the Westminster Government must put a clear plan in place to deliver genuinely affordable homes to combat the woeful shortage and limit the overreliance on unsuitable temporary accommodation. These steps will give people stronger protection from sudden financial pressures and help keep a roof over their heads. We know that homelessness is solvable, and we know what policy changes are required to bring these numbers down—what's needed is the political will to drive this agenda forward."
Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, from Heriot-Watt University, said, "The Homelessness Monitor highlights how different government policies, the wider housing market and access to social housing have a huge impact on people experiencing homelessness. Our comparative analysis of the worst forms of homelessness across Great Britain shines a light on the stark differences between England, Scotland and Wales that statutory homelessness statistics miss.
"The divergent approaches of three governments have led to very different outcomes for people across the three nations, with England lagging behind. Our analysis shows it's important to focus not just on how much money is spent on tackling homelessness, but what it's spent on—as the Westminster
government spends well over half its budget on servicing the escalating cost of temporary accommodation which is only set to get worse, whilst the Welsh and Scottish governments focus comparatively more on support and prevention."Provided by Heriot-Watt University
