Local authority housing waiting lists could nearly double as a result of COVID-19, council chiefs have warned.

A report from the homelessness charity Crisis has suggested that over 60,000 families and individuals could be prevented from becoming homeless in the next decade with Government action.

Responding to the report, the Local Government Association (LGA) said that efforts to get people off the street during the pandemic have shown that it is possible to tackle homelessness. They called for the Government’s approach during the lockdown to become the ‘new normal’.

Cllr David Renard, the LGA’s housing spokesperson, warned that council housing waiting lists could nearly double as a result of COVID-19 and set out a number of ways the Government could alleviate the pressure on local authorities.

‘It is vital that the Government lifts the No Recourse to Public Funds condition to help prevent homelessness for the migrants who can't currently access the welfare safety net,’ he said.

‘There must also be a renewed focus on investing in homelessness prevention services, alongside removing right to buy restrictions so that councils have the ability to invest in building the social housing the country needs.’