Charities and housing bodies have urged the major parties to commit to building 90,000 social homes per year over the next decade.
The letter, coordinated by Homeless Link and signed by 54 other organisations focusing on homelessness and housing, also called on the next government to work across party lines to end homelessness.
Government figures show more than 100,000 households, two-thirds of which are families with children, are living in temporary accommodation. There has also been a 27% rise in rough sleeping in the year up to autumn 2023.
The letter reads: ‘From building social homes and introducing a robust Renters Reform Bill to ensuring the Local Housing Allowance keeps track with private sector rent levels, ensuring people on low incomes have access to truly affordable housing, through a long-term plan, is the single biggest step we can take to prevent homelessness, both now and in the future.’
For more on what local government stakeholders want from the next government, check out the following articles from our NextGov series:
NextGov: What the next government should do for children’s services
NextGov: Scrapping the two-child benefit cap
NextGov: Revitalising local democracy
UNISON: To whoever forms the next government…
NextGov: Boosting social mobility
NextGov: Planning under the next government
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