0:02 AM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago 8
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Shelter is blaming evictions and rising rents for a surge in homelessness this Christmas.
According to the housing charity, 354,000 people in England, including 161,500 children, will spend Christmas without a home — a 14% increase in just one year.
Government data reveals 45% of families placed in temporary accommodation have been there for more than two years.
A Freedom of Information request by Shelter reveals that one in 160 people in England are now homeless, up from one in 182 in 2023.
The research also shows that 326,000 people are living in temporary accommodation, marking a 17% increase in just one year.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “As the country prepares to wind down and celebrate the festive season in our homes, it’s unimaginable that 354,000 will spend this winter homeless – many of them forced to shiver on the wet streets or in a mouldy hostel room with their entire family.
“Across England, extortionate private rents and rising evictions combined with a dire lack of genuinely affordable social homes is trapping more and more people in homelessness. Parents are spending sleepless nights worrying about their children growing up in cramped and often damaging temporary accommodation, as weeks and months turn into years without somewhere secure for them to call home.
“Until the government builds the social homes needed to end the housing emergency for good, Shelter will be there for people facing the devastation of homelessness.”
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) says the real cause of the homelessness crisis is landlords selling up.
According to the NRLA, 5,400 households in the private rented sector (PRS) in England were forced to seek council support after their landlord decided to sell.
This figure has since risen to 7,130 households between April and June 2024.
The NRLA is urging the government to reform the way rented housing is taxed to encourage the supply of new, decent-quality rental homes and restore confidence in the rental market.
According to Shelter, London has the highest rate of homelessness, with one in 47 people in the capital now homeless. The total number of homeless people in London has risen by 12% in just one year, reaching 187,000. Newham has the highest rate in the city, with one in 18 people homeless.
Cllr Grace Williams, London Councils’ executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “London is the epicentre of a national homelessness emergency, with vast numbers of families set to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation.
“The impact of homelessness on individuals – especially children – is devastating and the pressures on local services are unsustainable. We need urgent action to turn the crisis around.”
London Councils warns that homelessness in the capital has become “utterly unsustainable,” with £4 million being spent every day on housing people in temporary accommodation.
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Markella Mikkelsen
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Sign Up9:21 AM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
“As the country prepares to wind down and celebrate the festive season in our homes, it’s unimaginable that 354,000 will spend this winter homeless", should be re-phrased:
"Through my ill-thought policies and unrelenting hatred directed at private landlords, I have caused many of them to sell up to avoid bankruptcy. It is therefore I, Polly Neate, who is responsible for 354,000 people who will spend Xmas homeless this year.
Dear Santa, please forgive me.
Downsize Government
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Sign Up9:45 AM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
Shouldn't Shelter be saying:
Thanks to landlords, over 5 million people have a roof over their head for Christmas. This is despite the poor policies of various governments failing to ensure the market can provide housing for all.
Jack Craven
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Sign Up11:42 AM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
Poll Neat said (Shelter will be there for people facing the devastation of homelessness.)
So what is she going to do exactly ?
Perhaps redirect the £82 million she spent on lobbying against landlords to build houses,
PH
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Sign Up12:35 PM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
And many of the homeless are ex service who fell on hard times after they came out but the country doesn't care about them, like they don't care about the PRS anyway. I'm guessing this number will at least double in 12 months time and will just keep increasing. Nice one Liebor, just keep poking the lion.
Mike T
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Sign Up20:15 PM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
Surely the number one reason for so many homeless is the uncontrolled number of immigrants entering this country. Labours plan for building a million plus homes, during the present government, might just house those immigrants that enter our country during the same period. Meanwhile our existing homeless will remain homeless. Just my thoughts and not meant as being racist.
PH
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Sign Up20:29 PM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
Reply to the comment left by Mike T at 12/12/2024 - 20:15
It's not racist at all, it's fact. This topic could easily become too political but I'll say it anyway. Starmer's plan is to get as many immigrants in as possible because he knows there's votes from every one of them in the next election , the only thing is he's fast running out of any other kinds of voters so the immigrants won't make much difference. Hotels & B&B are full of them so they have to go somewhere and new houses are ear-marked for them regardless of how many Brittish Citizens are sleeping in doorways on the high street. This country needs to get it's act together before it comes crashing down all together but it's going to be a struggle for 5 years at least.
Stella
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Sign Up22:27 PM, 12th December 2024, About a month ago
Reply to the comment left by PH at 12/12/2024 - 20:29
He also needs the immigrants to build his 1.5 million homes.
He plans to sell most of these homes to first time buyers so this will have little impact on the rental market
He will have a bigger problem because most of these immigrants will be renters not buyers.
He needs to build more hotels!
Elena Sh
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Sign Up12:53 PM, 14th December 2024, About a month ago
The people who being brought by tories/labour lunatics are coming here not to work or integrate... they are coming for British taxpayers' money. They will be happy what they are given here without worry....