The proportion of councils’ total housing budget spent on homelessness and temporary accommodation has tripled since 2015, new analysis has revealed.
The Local Government Association (LGA) found that councils in England and Wales spent £315m on homelessness in 2015-16, compared to just over £1bn in 2023-24 – a sum it said could rise when official figures are released.
Eight years ago, 18% of councils' total housing budgets was allocated to homelessness; this now stands at 60%.
The LGA has called for the next government to reform Right to Buy to support 1:1 replacement of social housing; require all planning applications to deliver affordable housing requirements as per local plans, and bring forward long-awaited legislation banning Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.
LGA housing spokesperson Claire Holland said: ‘Homelessness pressures on councils are spiralling as a larger proportion of their budgets is put towards costly temporary accommodation due to a lack of social housing.
‘The way to properly resolve the issue is to address the shortage of suitable housing across the country and build up councils’ stock of social housing.’
