The problem of homelessness is far worse than official figures show, according to warnings from councils.
New research shows that two-thirds of councils think homelessness figures do not reflect local trends as they are recording more ‘informal’ approaches to the problem separately such as debt advice or family mediation.
Published by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Homelessness Monitor: England is an independent study analysing the impact of economic and policy developments on homelessness.
It reveals that the number of people facing homelessness rose by 9% last year, a figure not included in headline statistics. Half of the councils surveyed also said they expected the problem to get worse over the next two years due to welfare cuts and changes to benefits.
‘Today’s report reveals the true scale of homelessness in England, which headline figures no longer reflect,’ said chief executive of Crisis Jon Sparkes. ‘Council officials are clear that benefit cuts and sanctions are taking a dreadful toll on people’s lives, with rising numbers facing the loss of their home at a time when councils are being forced to cut services. This is a desperate state of affairs.'
The survey revealed that in 2013/14 councils dealt with 50,000 cases of debt advice or financial assistance – up by 47% compared to the previous year.
Dr Suzanne Fitzpatrick, lead author, said: ‘Councils in England are changing the way they tackle homelessness, with an ongoing shift to more informal routes which aren’t recorded in the headline statistics, such as debt advice, financial assistance and mediation with family or landlords.
‘Taking these actions into account, we see that the number of cases of people facing or at serious risk of homelessness rose sharply last year. Yet this alarming trend has gone largely unnoticed by politicians or the media.’
The survey also showed that 26% more people were re-housed outside their local authority area, with these accounting for 24% of total placements.