Homelessness


Council spending on single homeless people falls by £1bn 24/04/2019 Councils have called on the Government to provide more help to tackle homelessness, following figures showing a drop in the amount they spend dealing with it.
Homelessness charity wins £3.6m lottery grant 23/04/2019 A charity which helps people battling with homelessness, long-term unemployment and addiction is set to expand thanks to a grant from the national lottery.
City council drops £100 begging fines 18/04/2019 Southampton City Council has decided to remove its £100 fines for begging after finding the penalty had ‘little effect’.
London council signs a £44.6m partnership to build new homes 17/04/2019 Croydon Council has signed up to a multi-million pound partnership with Legal & General in order to deliver over 160 new homes.
Modular homes to be developed for homeless families in London 16/04/2019 Temporary modular homes are to be developed for homeless families in the capital following a £11m investment by mayor Sadiq Khan.
Cash-strapped councils struggle to fulfil homelessness prevention duties 04/04/2019 Over two thirds of councils say they do not have sufficient funding to fulfil their statutory duty to prevent homelessness.
Homelessness Reduction Act: One year on 25/03/2019 Groundbreaking legislation a year ago gave councils new powers to deal with homelessness, but the problem has not gone away, says Mark Whitehead.
Government announces £46m to tackle rough sleeping 25/03/2019 The communities secretary has announced that £46m will be made available to help councils get people off the streets and into accommodation.
Councils 'struggling to cope' with Homelessness Reduction Act 25/03/2019 A year after the Government took radical steps to reduce homelessness councils are warning they lack the resources to cope with a rising tide of people needing somewhere to live.
Brokenshire announces £1m boost for homeless veterans 20/03/2019 The Government has announced that local areas will be receiving a boost of £1m to help ensure vulnerable veterans do not end up sleeping rough.
Councils collaborate to address homelessness crisis 14/03/2019 Over a dozen London boroughs have joined the collaborative programme Capital Letters, which aims to support homeless households across the capital.
Councils to share £19.5m to unlock private housing for most vulnerable 01/03/2019 Councils are to share nearly £20m to help people at risk of homelessness to move into the private rented sector.
Poor, urban areas see majority of homeless deaths 26/02/2019 Welfare cuts and a lack of social housing are driving the homelessness crisis which has resulted in hundreds of deaths, particularly in poor, urban areas.
Whitehall’s ‘hostile environment’ puts children in danger, charity says 19/02/2019 The Government’s commitment to creating a ‘hostile environment’ for migrants outweighs their commitment to children’s rights, a charity has warned.
Rough-sleeping up 165% over the last decade, figures reveal 31/01/2019 High rents, a ‘faulty’ benefits system, and a lack of social housing has driven the dramatic rise in rough-sleeping since 2010, a homelessness charity has said.
How can local authorities successfully and sustainably tackle homelessness in their area? 31/01/2019 Victoria King Lowe explores how local authorities can work with partners to attract additional funding and implement cost-effective solutions that can reduce rough sleeping and homelessness.
Over 900 rough sleepers in Greater Manchester given ‘a bed every night’ 21/01/2019 Greater Manchester’s scheme for helping rough sleepers has seen a ‘significant increase’ in the number of people it has helped in the last few months.
Labour promises to repeal nineteenth-century Vagrancy Act 24/12/2018 The Labour Party has announced that they plan to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824 which criminalises begging and rough sleeping.
Deaths of homeless people up 24% in five years 21/12/2018 Local authority chiefs say they are ‘determined’ to prevent homelessness as figures reveal almost 600 homeless people died in England and Wales last year.
Essex councils warn of problems with rehousing London’s homeless in the county 19/12/2018 Essex council leaders have written to the Mayor of London highlighting concerns over homeless people from the capital being rehoused in the county.
End ‘unnecessary’ homelessness catch-22, watchdog says 18/12/2018 A watchdog has called for an end to the ‘unnecessary catch-22’ where homeless people are unable to access public services because they have no postal address.
Brokenshire launches homelessness 'hubs' 18/12/2018 Communities secretary James Brokenshire has announced a network of 11 homelessness ‘hubs’ across England to tackle rough sleeping.
Over 12,000 people sleeping rough this Christmas, charity warns 17/12/2018 The number of people sleeping rough or on buses and cars in England is more than double what Government statistics suggest, homelessness charity says.
Increasing use of temporary accommodation ‘disruptive’, council chiefs say 14/12/2018 Local government leaders have angrily rejected the increasing use of temporary accommodation to house homeless families.
Council chiefs call for ‘proper resourcing’ to end homelessness 10/12/2018 Investment announced by the Government to end homelessness will help, according to council leaders, but cuts in resources are making it more challenging.
Supported housing system ‘isn’t working’, charity warns 05/12/2018 People living in supported housing are being discouraged from finding work because of fears they will not be able to afford their rent, report reveals.
More than 130,000 children will be homeless at Christmas, charity warns 05/12/2018 The number of homeless children has increased by 59% in the last five years, meaning 131,000 will be without a permanent home this Christmas, Shelter has warned.
Council pledges to provide winter-long beds for all rough sleepers 28/11/2018 Oxford City Council has pledged to provide all rough sleepers with beds for the whole of the winter from next year.
Charity warns at least 320,000 people are homeless 22/11/2018 Numbers of homeless people have reached record levels because of the worsening housing crisis, according to campaigners.
Councils face £10m shortfall to help homeless young people 12/11/2018 Councils will need an extra £10m to help young people facing homelessness under their new duties, research has revealed today.
New homelessness duties impacting half of district councils 02/11/2018 More than half of district councils have seen an increase in the number of people asking for help since the introduction of new homelessness legislation.
Local government funding to be slashed by a further £1.3bn 01/10/2018 Council budgets will be cut by a third next year, causing 'dramatic' reductions in services, local government leaders have warned.
Healey unveils council tax levy on holiday homes 24/09/2018 Labour would double council tax on second homes to help families living in temporary accommodation, shadow housing secretary John Healey is expected to announce later today.
Housing benefit freeze ‘fuelling' homelessness 29/08/2018 The housing benefit freeze has put private renting out of reach for most low-income tenants and risks forcing people from their homes, a housing standards group has warned.
Over 100,000 children homeless over holidays, council chiefs warn 28/08/2018 The number of children who spent their school holiday homeless has risen to more than 123,000, council leaders have warned.
Whitehall announces £100m plan to end rough sleeping by 2027 13/08/2018 Council leaders have welcomed the government's £100m strategy to end rough sleeping by 2027 but warned it is only the 'tip of the iceberg'.
Council consults public on ‘aggressive’ begging legislation 24/07/2018 Wakefield Council has launched a consultation on proposals to use anti-social behaviour legislation to tackle ‘aggressive’ begging.
Working homeless figures soar over five years 23/07/2018 The number of families described as ‘working homeless’ has soared over the past five years, housing charity Shelter has warned.
Homelessness commission to provide ‘practical’ solutions for councils 06/07/2018 A local government sector think tank has launched a commission aimed at developing ‘strong, practical recommendations’ to help councils tackle homelessness.
Figures show surge in number of homeless children and older people 28/06/2018 The number of families living in temporary accommodation has risen to 79,000, according to the latest government figures.
Homelessness could be eradicated within 10 years, argues charity 11/06/2018 Homelessness in Britain could be ended within a decade if the right polices were introduced, according to a new report.
£30m cash boost to tackle rough sleepers 09/06/2018 Communities secretary James Brokenshire has announced a £30m cash boost to tackle rough sleepers in the worst hit parts of the country.
Benefit cuts forcing young people into homelessness, charity says 01/06/2018 Welfare restrictions are forcing young people into homelessness despite recent Government reforms, charity says.
Welsh programme to help the elderly ‘lacks direction’, committee warns 21/05/2018 A £125m programme to help vulnerable, elderly and homeless people in Wales ‘creates uncertainty and lacks direction’, assembly members say.
Councils urged to apply for Housing Advisers Programme 15/05/2018 Councils are being urged to bid for support from the Housing Advisers Programme to help overcome housing challenges in their local areas.
Domestic abuse survivors ‘falling through the cracks’ charity warns 10/05/2018 Many survivors of domestic abuse are falling into a cycle of homelessness and abuse due to the complexity of the housing system, a charity has warned.
Pilot projects to support rough sleepers launched 09/05/2018 The Government today launched three new pilot projects aimed at helping rough sleepers into ‘stable and affordable accommodation’.
Housing should be a human right says Burnham 08/05/2018 Housing should be a made a human right in the same way as education and health, the mayor of Greater Manchester has said today.
Councils failing to support thousands of young homeless people warns charity 03/05/2018 At least 86,000 young people in the UK are estimated to have sought help from their local council last year because they were homeless or at risk of homelessness, according to new research.
Tens of thousands of ‘hidden homeless’ not included in Whitehall figures 25/04/2018 New research has revealed there could be over 50,000 people staying in unsupported temporary accommodation - nearly 10 times more than the official statistics show.
Labour outlines housing policy 19/04/2018 Labour would scrap right to buy, and give councils new borrowing freedoms and central funding in a bid to kick-start house building, the party said today.
Charity gives digital platforms designed to meet social needs £160,000 17/04/2018 Nesta has announced funding for collaborative social media platforms that can, among other things, help match homeless families to people with spare rooms.
Benefit reforms a driver of youth homelessness, charity says 16/04/2018 Welfare reforms are contributing to homelessness among young people aged 16 to 24, charity warns.
70% of councils struggle to house the homeless, figures reveal 12/04/2018 Over two thirds of local authorities surveyed said they had difficulties finding social housing for homeless people last year, new report reveals.
Javid announces £30m to tackle homelessness 03/04/2018 The communities secretary Sajid Javid announced last Friday a new £30m fund to support local authorities with high numbers of people sleeping rough.
Homelessness statistics ‘national disgrace’, pressure group says 22/03/2018 The latest homelessness figures reveal the number of households in temporary accommodation is just under 79,000.
Councils to get £215m funding boost for homelessness services 22/03/2018 Councils in England are set to receive a share of over £215m from 2019 to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
Ely has ‘no genuine rough sleepers’, council claims 26/02/2018 A Cambridgeshire council argues they have ‘no genuine rough sleepers’ in their area as England’s smallest city experiences increase in begging.
Government announces public bodies with homelessness duties 22/02/2018 Hospitals, prisons and a number of other public bodies have a duty to refer those at risk of becoming homeless to a housing authority, Government says.
Windsor withdraw’s rough sleeping paper after royal wedding controversy 15/02/2018 Windsor and Maidenhead have decided to withdraw a paper detailing its plans to tackle rough sleeping and anti-social behaviour saying it needed ‘further work’.
Housing First should be introduced to Scotland, MSPs say 12/02/2018 Scotland should provide homeless people with a permanent home, a parliamentary committee has recommended after a year-long inquiry into homelessness.
Council removes ‘anti-homeless’ bars after rapper’s protest 06/02/2018 Bournemouth has decided to remove bars it installed on its public benches to discourage homeless people from sleeping on them after ‘extensive feedback’.
Council leader survives vote of no confidence following homelessness letter 30/01/2018 The council leader who called for rough sleepers to be removed from the streets of Windsor ahead of the royal wedding has survived a vote of no confidence.
Labour pledges 8,000 homes for rough sleepers 29/01/2018 Labour have pledged to deliver 8,000 new homes for rough sleepers in a bid to cut the dramatically increasing numbers of people forced to sleep on the streets.
Rough sleeping increases 14% in past year 25/01/2018 Rough sleeping has increased by 14% over the last year, according to new figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Council ‘bemused’ by comedian’s homeless charity petition 23/01/2018 Russell Brand has launched a petition calling on Slough to provide a homelessness charity with a building as a ‘wedding present’ ahead of the royal wedding.
Lambeth to lend £300m to new housing company 23/01/2018 Lambeth LBC will lend at least £300m to its new housing company over the next five years to kickstart an ambitious plan.
Welsh councils must tackle causes of homelessness, watchdog says 09/01/2018 Local authorities in Wales need to do more to tackle the ‘underlying causes’ of homelessness, auditor says.
Windsor council leader faces no confidence vote 09/01/2018 Windsor & Maidenhead’s council leader is facing a motion of no confidence after his controversial open letter to the police asking them to remove homeless people ahead of the royal wedding.
Passing the buck 09/01/2018 William Eichler explores some of the issues raised concerning homelessness following the publication of the council leader’s controversial letter.
Over £300m from dormant accounts to go towards ‘good causes’ 04/01/2018 Around £330m from dormant bank and building society accounts will be used to help disadvantaged young people, the homeless and other good causes across the UK, the Government has announced.
Windsor leader calls for ‘crack down’ on homeless before royal wedding 04/01/2018 The leader of Windsor and Maidenhead council has become embroiled in controversy after publishing an open letter calling on the police to crack down on begging ahead of the royal wedding.
Government’s homelessness approach ‘unacceptably complacent’, MPs say 20/12/2017 A committee of MPs tasked with overseeing the Government’s accounts has launched a devastating attack on the DCLG’s approach to dealing with homelessness.
Welsh government announces £10m to tackle homelessness 18/12/2017 The Welsh government yesterday announced an extra £10m to end youth homelessness by 2027.
‘Rocketing’ rents forcing families to turn to councils 15/12/2017 Homelessness is hitting professionals who would never have faced problems finding a place to live in the past, according to the local government watchdog.
Increase in homelessness a 'national outrage' 14/12/2017 The number of homeless households in temporary accommodation has risen by more than 50% in the past five years, according to new figures released today.
MPs urge Government to amend draft Homelessness Code of Guidance 13/12/2017 MPs have called on the Government to spell out the cost of new legislation aimed at reducing homelessness and assure councils they will have the money needed to put it into action.
Nearly 130,000 children will wake up homeless on Christmas, charity warns 06/12/2017 Nearly 130,000 children in Britain will wake up homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas, homelessness charity warns.
Panel tasked with eliminating rough sleeping announced 01/12/2017 Sajid Javid yesterday set out details of a new Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel as part of the Government’s commitment to halve rough sleeping by 2022.
Council scraps plans to fine rough sleepers using tents 28/11/2017 Stoke-on-Trent City Council has decided to scrap plans to fine homeless people £1,000 if they were found sleeping in tents.
MPs to launch inquiry into the Government’s approach to homelessness 27/11/2017 Homelessness costs taxpayers more than £1bn per year, MPs say as select committee launches an inquiry into the Government’s approach to tackling homelessness.
Budget 2017: Devolution and housing key planks in speech 22/11/2017 Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Budget has seen the chancellor unveil a raft of new devolution deals, measures to boost housing and changes to resolve issues with controversial Universal Credit.
Budget 2017: Housing Revenue Account cap lifted for some 22/11/2017 The Housing Revenue Account cap will be lifted for councils in ‘high-demand areas’ and stamp duty will be scrapped for most first-time buyers, chancellor Philip Hammond announced in his Budget speech today.
Over 300,000 people are homeless in Britain, housing charity reveals 08/11/2017 Shocking new research by a housing charity has revealed that 307,000 people are homeless in Britain - more than the entire population of Newcastle.
Commissioners should be queuing up to fund Housing First 17/10/2017 Housing First services are a strategic and cost effective approach to tackling entrenched and repeat homelessness, and reducing the use of other services, says Rick Henderson.
Councils to share extra funding for homelessness prevention 17/10/2017 Local authorities in England are to share £11.7m to help meet their obligations under the Homelessness Reduction Act for the next two years.
The first devolved homelessness funding package awarded to Greater Manchester 13/10/2017 Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has welcomed the government's announcement of £3.8m package to end homelessness and rough sleeping in the city.
Growing number of older homeless people is a ‘ticking time bomb’ 13/10/2017 The number of older people that are homeless has risen by 130% in the past eight years, council leaders have warned today.
Burnham launches £1.8m bond to tackle homelessness 09/10/2017 A £1.8m social impact bond (SIB) has been announced by the mayor of Greater Manchester to help end homelessness in the region.
Lack of affordable housing leaves thousands homeless each night, charity warns 06/10/2017 An estimated 26,000 single people are homeless on any given night in England due to a lack of affordable and accessible housing, according to new research.
Councils warn welfare reforms are undermining efforts to reduce homelessness 21/09/2017 Councils and housing associations have reported it is becoming harder to work together to reduce homelessness due to welfare reforms, new survey has revealed.
Vulnerable women ‘trapped’ due to patchy service 14/09/2017 Patchy services across the country are trapping vulnerable women in ‘cycle of disadvantage’ a new report has warned.
Welfare reforms driving rise in homelessness warns watchdog 13/09/2017 Welfare reforms such as the capping of Local Housing Allowance has led to an increase in homelessness, a damning report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned today.
Mayor announces £300,000 outreach team to tackle rough sleeping 30/08/2017 The mayor of London yesterday announced funding for a new outreach team to help homeless people sleeping rough on the capital’s public transport.
Councils told to review homelessness procedures after poor treatment of disabled woman 17/08/2017 Councils have been urged to ensure homelessness procedures are ‘fit for purpose’ after Ombudsman found fault with a council’s treatment of a disabled woman.
Rough sleeping to rise by three quarters in next decade warns charity 10/08/2017 Rough sleeping is set to increase by 76% in the next ten years, according to new analysis by homeless charity Crisis.
Council chiefs warn of ‘unsustainable’ temporary housing costs 24/07/2017 Councils are housing an ‘extra secondary school’s worth’ of homeless children each month, council chiefs say as they warn of ‘unsustainable’ situation.
A legal duty to prevent homelessness 18/07/2017 Neil Merrick explores the impact and financial burdens the new Homelessness Reduction Act will have on local authorities.
Preventing homelessness of vulnerable is 'achievable goal' say MPs 18/07/2017 Preventing homelessness for care leavers, victims of domestic abuse and people leaving prison is 'achievable' within the next Parliament, a new report has argued.
New approach to homelessness a ‘game-changer’, study reveals 12/07/2017 Taking a ‘Housing First’ approach to tackling homelessness can be five times as cost effective than current services, a new study has found.

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