Homelessness | LocalGov

Councils help rough sleepers as temperatures drop

20/11/2024

Local authorities across the country are offering emergency accommodation to people sleeping on the streets as temperatures fall below freezing.

NI rise threatens homelessness services

11/11/2024

The rise in national insurance announced in the Budget could be the ‘nail in the coffin’ for many organisations providing homelessness services, charities say.

Right to Buy could end for new council homes

08/11/2024

The deputy prime minister has suggested she wants to remove new council homes in England from the Right to Buy scheme.

Starmer pledges £3.5m for veterans facing homelessness

08/11/2024

The Government has announced an extra £3.5m to support veterans facing homelessness.

Emergency £10m rough sleepers fund launched

07/11/2024

An emergency £10m fund has been launched to protect rough sleepers from cold weather this winter.

Inquiry into temporary accommodation launched

31/10/2024

A select committee has launched an inquiry into how living in temporary accommodation impacts children and families, and the pressure it puts on local authority finances.

Budget: Chancellor confirms Right to Buy overhaul

30/10/2024

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed a raft of measures to tackle the ‘desperate lack of affordable housing’ including reform of the Right to Buy scheme.

Scotland faces 90% homelessness rise by 2040

29/10/2024

Scotland is set for a ‘homelessness crisis of alarming proportions’ if current trends persist, new research has found.

Council apologises after ‘vulnerable’ man left homeless

17/10/2024

Tower Hamlets Council has apologised after it left a vulnerable man with significant care needs unsupported when he was made homeless.

Just 5% of London private rentals affordable to low-income households

17/10/2024

Only 5% of private rental listings in London are affordable to households who use Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to pay their rent, new research has found.

Planning departments hit hardest by staff shortages

14/10/2024

Planning departments are facing the worst workforce shortages, with eight out of 10 experiencing recruitment and retention issues, new research has revealed.

Homeless youths missing from official stats

10/10/2024

The number of homeless young people in London is at a record high but is likely to be much higher than official figures suggest, a homelessness charity has warned.

Charities call for £1bn to prevent homelessness surge

10/10/2024

Almost £1bn of funding is due to leave the homelessness sector in April, leaving services facing a funding cliff-edge, a group of charities has warned.

Council’s ‘financial resilience’ in question

07/10/2024

The ‘financial resilience’ of Windsor and Maidenhead is in question after the Cabinet heard this year's forecast overspend had risen from £9.9m to £12.4m.

Councils illegally turning young homeless people away, charity warns

04/10/2024

Hundreds of young people who have approached councils for help with homelessness are being illegally turned away, the Guardian has reported.

Number of families in temporary accommodation hits record high

03/10/2024

The number of households living in temporary accommodation has hit a record high, new figures reveal.

Lambeth warns of ‘drastic savings’ without help

18/09/2024

Lambeth Council has called for urgent help in the Government’s Budget next month, at a time it said ‘could not be more critical’ for local authorities.

Several London councils ‘edging closer towards effective bankruptcy’

12/09/2024

Boroughs in the capital are set to overspend by more than £600m this year as housing and homelessness pressures ‘wreak havoc’ on their finances, according to London Councils.

Manchester adopts Finnish housing scheme in UK first

12/09/2024

A housing scheme said to have significantly reduced homelessness in Finland is set to become a ‘guiding philosophy’ in Greater Manchester after a successful pilot.

LGA calls for longer asylum move-on time

11/09/2024

Councils have called for people to be allowed more time to leave Home Office accommodation after receiving an asylum decision.

No-fault evictions ban returns to Commons

11/09/2024

A ban on landlords evicting tenants without a valid reason is among the ‘landmark’ renting reforms to be introduced to Parliament today.

Warrington BC faces £29m overspend

03/09/2024

Warrington Borough Council could be facing a £29m overspend by the end of the financial year, the cabinet member for corporate finance has warned.

West Midlands councils warn region will be ‘financially unsustainable’

02/09/2024

Seven council leaders in the West Midlands have warned there is a risk the region will have to declare itself as ‘financially unsustainable.’

Councils spend record £1bn on temporary accommodation

30/08/2024

Local authorities in England spent a record £1bn on temporary accommodation for homeless households last year, new analysis has revealed.

Teen left at self-harm risk after council’s housing delay

22/08/2024

A teenager with significant support needs was at significant risk of self-harm after a council left him ‘on the brink of homeless’, an ombudsman has reported.

Eastbourne warns of ‘extensive’ service cuts

14/08/2024

Eastbourne Borough Council has warned that rising costs of homelessness services have left it facing ‘extensive’ cuts to services.

Glasgow joins international homelessness forum

13/08/2024

Glasgow has joined local leaders from three continents to commit to ending homelessness and call for global action on the issue.

United call following homelessness surge

08/08/2024

The local government sector has united to call for urgent action following a surge in the number of homeless families.

Newham raises alarm over ‘spiralling’ homelessness costs

06/08/2024

Newham Council has warned it may need government assistance due to the ‘spiralling’ costs of supporting homeless people.

Homelessness pressures 'unsustainable'

24/07/2024

Councils face ‘unsustainable financial pressure' due to record levels of homelessness, according to a public spending watchdog.

How to tackle London’s housing crisis

18/07/2024

Piali Das Gupta, London Councils’ Strategy Director – London’s Future, looks at what the new government should do to solve the capital’s housing shortage.

Homelessness spending triples in eight years

02/07/2024

The proportion of councils’ total housing budget spent on homelessness and temporary accommodation has tripled since 2015, new analysis has revealed.

Rough sleeping in London hits new record high

27/06/2024

The final year of a Conservative government that pledged to end rough sleeping saw a record number of people sleeping on the streets of London.

Party leaders urged to act on migrant homelessness

25/06/2024

More than 100 homelessness and migrants’ rights organisations have called on the next government to stop the asylum system ‘driving people needlessly’ into destitution.

North Yorkshire Council to invest £11.6m in temporary accommodation

20/06/2024

North Yorkshire Council is set to build 90 new temporary accommodation units at a cost of £11.6m.

Build 90,000 social homes per year, party leaders told

20/06/2024

Charities and housing bodies have urged the major parties to commit to building 90,000 social homes per year over the next decade.

Cash-strapped Slough BC faces going £11m over budget

13/06/2024

The leadership of Slough BC should take ‘immediate action’ as the council is at risk of going £11m over budget this year, according to cabinet papers.

Quarter of councils spending 5% of budgets on temporary accommodation

05/06/2024

One in four local councils in England spent 5% of their core budgets on temporary accommodation in 2022-23, new research has revealed.

Pembrokeshire buys housing stock worth £3.5m

21/05/2024

Pembrokeshire County Council has spent more than £3.5m acquiring housing since November.

North Yorkshire aims to build 500 council homes

20/05/2024

North Yorkshire Council has published its first housing strategy, which includes an ambition to build 500 council homes over five years.

Government waters down rough sleeping legislation

14/05/2024

The Government has watered down plans to criminalise rough sleeping following a Tory backbench rebellion.

Tower Hamlets apologises after ‘gatekeeping’ finding

13/05/2024

Tower Hamlets did not do enough to help a family threatened with eviction, an ombudsman has found.

Record 145,800 children live in temporary accommodation

30/04/2024

There are 145,800 children who are homeless and in temporary accommodation, new government figures have shown.

MPs sign off indefinite delay to no-fault evictions ban

25/04/2024

The Renters (Reform) Bill, which now includes an indefinite delay to the long-awaited ban on ‘no-fault’ evictions, passed its third reading in the Commons yesterday.

Over 84k households evicted since no-fault eviction ban promise

15/04/2024

Over 84,000 households have faced homelessness due to being issued with a section 21 notice since the Government committed to ban no-fault evictions.

Councils face £332m youth homelessness shortfall

15/04/2024

Local authorities in England are facing a £332m annual shortfall in youth homelessness funding, new research has revealed.

Proposed law could ease housing emergencies

27/03/2024

Scottish councils may be required to assess the condition of private rented accommodation under a proposed law.

Young homeless people feel ‘ignored’ by councils

27/03/2024

Young people experiencing homelessness feel ‘dismissed and ignored’ when they approach local authorities for help, research has found.

Leicester council to borrow £45m to buy property

26/03/2024

Leicester councillors have agreed to borrow £45m to buy property to help the city council tackle the local housing crisis.

Call for reintroduction of housing targets

22/03/2024

A cross-party coalition representing 27 mid-sized regional British cities has called for the next Government to reintroduce local housebuilding targets.

Hopes for regen scheme revived after Home Office scales back asylum plan

20/03/2024

A £300m council-led regeneration scheme threatened when Whitehall commandeered the site for asylum accommodation could now go ahead.

Council apologises for failing to recognise abuse

14/03/2024

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has apologised after failing to properly identify the abuse suffered by a homeless man.

Homelessness inquiry launched by NAO

13/03/2024

The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched an inquiry into homelessness as the issue piles pressure on squeezed council budgets.

Crawley leaders warns of housing emergency

13/03/2024

The leader of Crawley Council has called on the Government to ‘take decisive action’ to address the city’s housing emergency.

Call for ‘emergency action’ over rough sleeping spike

29/02/2024

A homelessness charity has called for ‘emergency action’ over ‘out of control’ levels of rough sleeping in England.

London boroughs spend £3m a day on temporary accommodation

28/02/2024

The cost of temporary accommodation in the capital ‘threatens to bankrupt boroughs’, London Councils has warned.

£220m boost for homelessness services

28/02/2024

The Government has announced £220m for councils to prevent families from becoming homeless and provide support for people sleeping rough.

Eastbourne BC to vote on declaring housing emergency

28/02/2024

Eastbourne BC, the local authority behind a recent Westminster summit on the temporary-accommodation crisis, will today vote on declaring a housing emergency.

Home Office 'chaos' leaves thousands of illegal arrivals in 'perma-backlog'

27/02/2024

The Government’s struggling asylum policy has heaped significant demand on cities’ housing services, experts have warned.

Durham secures £6m to tackle homelessness

27/02/2024

Durham County Council has successfully secured over £6m in funding to tackle homelessness.

Social housing investment could boost economy by over £50bn

26/02/2024

Much more investment in the construction of social housing could boost the economy by a dramatic £51.2bn, according to a new analysis.

Ukrainian homelessness likely to rise

22/02/2024

The risk of homelessness among Ukrainians in the UK is likely to increase as arrangements with sponsors end or break down, MPs have warned.

Prince William announces 24 homes for homeless people

19/02/2024

Prince William has announced plans to build 24 homes to temporarily house homeless people on Duchy of Cornwall land.

Council chiefs call for review of Ukrainian refugee scheme

19/02/2024

Council leaders have called for an urgent review of funding for Ukrainian refugees as 9,000 have reported as homeless and more need longer-term support.

Ealing agrees £150m package to buy up housing

14/02/2024

Councillors in Ealing have approved a £150m plan to acquire housing in the face of soaring temporary accommodation costs.

The Temporary Housing Dilemma: a strategic approach

07/02/2024

Darya Kolas, Partner & Head of Social Housing at Copping Joyce, discusses the temporary housing dilemma facing local authorities.

Scotland’s homelessness system 'at risk of failure'

02/02/2024

Scotland’s homelessness system is on the brink of collapse, according to the country’s housing watchdog.

Rough sleeping in London reaches record high

01/02/2024

More people were sleeping rough in the capital at the end of 2023 than at any period in the past decade.

Health boost for Housing First residents, research finds

01/02/2024

Housing First – under which homeless people are guaranteed a home while they access support – reduces demand on health and social care services, study finds.

Two in five adults fear mounting housing pressures

24/01/2024

Two in five people who pay housing costs in England are worried that pressures will get worse this year, new research has found.

Homelessness costs could spell ‘end of local government’

24/01/2024

The increasing cost of homelessness could lead to more councils declaring effective bankruptcy and the ‘end of local government’, council leaders warn.

£17m to help rough sleepers for councils ‘most in need’

16/01/2024

The Government has provided £17m to help homeless people off the streets as it insisted it would deliver its pledge to end rough sleeping this year.

Homelessness charities extend Crisis at Christmas service

05/01/2024

National homelessness charities Crisis and St Mungo’s are teaming up for a third year to extend their hotel service in London into the new year.

Rural homelessness up 40%

04/01/2024

Levels of homelessness in rural areas have increased by 40% over the last five years, research by a countryside charity has revealed.

Half of teachers work with homeless children

22/12/2023

The ‘nightmare of child homelessness’ is damaging children’s education as they suffer exhaustion, hunger and poor mental health, Shelter has warned.

Boroughs have ‘nothing to offer’ as refugee homelessness rises

07/12/2023

New research has found that an increasing number of refugees are rough sleeping in London after leaving Home Office accommodation.

Home Office admits 'more we can and need to do'

30/11/2023

More needs to be done to share data and improve communications with councils, Home Office mandarins have admitted.

Nottingham issues section 114 notice

29/11/2023

Cash-strapped Nottingham City Council has been forced to issue a section 114 notice after revealing it faces a significant in-year deficit.

Thousands of refugees face homelessness at Christmas, LGA warns

29/11/2023

The Government’s push to clear the asylum backlog is putting ‘tens of thousands’ of refugees at risk of homelessness over Christmas, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.

MPs warn local services on ‘knife edge’

28/11/2023

MPs have warned that key local services are on a ‘knife edge’ due to the poor financial health of councils in England.

DLUHC defends homelessness monitoring

23/11/2023

Mandarins have denied they do not have a clear picture of homelessness levels among Ukrainian refugees.

Autumn Statement: Councils remain ‘chronically underfunded’

23/11/2023

Support for private renters, devolution, and planning departments is welcome but councils remain ‘chronically underfunded’, council chiefs tell Chancellor.

Autumn Statement: Housing benefits unfrozen

22/11/2023

Housing benefits for private renters are set to increase as Jeremy Hunt confirms the uprating of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates in autumn statement.

New scheme to help London councils buy homes

20/11/2023

London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a programme that will fund councils to purchase homes from the private market.

West Yorkshire mayor unveils plan for 40,000 homes

16/11/2023

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin has unveiled plans to boost the number of houses in the region and to improve the quality of the area’s housing stock.

Homeless children left without care

16/11/2023

Almost 6,500 16- and 17-year-olds presented as homeless to their local authority in England last year, according to new data.

Liverpool’s homelessness bill leaps from £250,000 to £19m

15/11/2023

The leader of Liverpool City Council has called for urgent help as the local authority’s homelessness accommodation bill jumps from £250,000 to £19m.

Council admits hand in disposing of tents

15/11/2023

Camden Council has admitted that it was involved in the disposal of homeless people’s tents in central London last week.

Call for 'urgent action on deepening housing crisis'

10/11/2023

The council that increased new homes supply the most last year has urged the Government to take ‘urgent action’ on the ‘deepening housing crisis’.

Government urged to push through ‘no fault’ evictions ban

09/11/2023

The chair of the levelling up, housing and communities (LUHC) committee has urged the Government to commit to a timetable for abolishing section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

Homelessness warning over LHA freeze

09/11/2023

A maintained freeze on local housing allowance (LHA) rates could push 60,000 Londoners into homelessness over the next six years, according to new analysis.

‘Nothing for local government’ in King’s Speech

07/11/2023

Councils have expressed disappointment that the King’s Speech offered no commitment to improving local government finances or furthering devolution.

Braverman wants to restrict homeless people’s use of tents

06/11/2023

Home secretary Suella Braverman has said she wants to stop homeless people ‘causing noise and distress’ by pitching tents in public places.

DCN writes to Hunt over temporary accommodation pressures

01/11/2023

Following a summit attended by 158 councils, the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned chancellor Jeremy Hunt about ‘unprecedented’ numbers of people turning to councils in the face of homelessness.

‘Tragic and shameful’ rough sleeping increase in London

01/11/2023

City Hall had told the Government it must act to avoid ‘spiralling’ homelessness this winter after new data showed rising rough sleeping across the capital.

Emergency summit held amid temporary accommodation warnings

31/10/2023

More than 150 councils this week attended an emergency summit as the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities increases rapidly.

Public services ‘in a dire state’

31/10/2023

No public services are performing better than before the pandemic and satisfaction with councils has dropped, a report has found.

Homelessness fears over asylum fast-tracking

26/10/2023

The largest city councils in England and Scotland fear that Government plans to speed up asylum decisions will result in thousands of people facing homelessness.

Housing allowance freeze forcing more into homelessness, Government told

13/10/2023

More people will be forced into homelessness unless a three-year freeze on housing rental benefits is ended, the Government has been warned.

Councils spend £1.7bn on temporary accommodation

12/10/2023

Councils in England spent £1.7bn on temporary accommodation for homeless households last year, new government figures have revealed.

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