Shelter – “We predicted the pandemic would trigger a rising tide of evictions”

Research released by Shelter in their press release today indicates more than 274,000 people are homeless in England right now, including 126,000 children and goes on to say:

Analysis of official rough-sleeping and temporary accommodation figures shows that one in every 206 people in England are currently without a home.

Of these, 2,700 people are sleeping rough on any given night, nearly 15,000 single people in direct access hostels and nearly 250,000 people are living in temporary accommodation – most of whom are families.

Covid protections such as the ‘Everyone In’ scheme, the eviction ban, and the boost to Universal Credit played a vital role in keeping people in their homes and suppressing homelessness during the pandemic. Now Shelter is warning with these protections gone, living costs soaring and another uncertain winter ahead, there is a risk of the flood gates reopening and thousands more people losing their homes.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “We predicted the pandemic would trigger a rising tide of evictions and our services are starting to see the reality of this now. We’re flooded with calls from families and people of all ages who are homeless or on the verge of losing their home.”

Shelter’s new report also reveals the areas across England where homelessness is most acute:

• London comes out worst, with one in 53 people now homeless in the capital.
• Outside of London, Luton is the area with the highest rate of homelessness with one in 66 people homeless.
• One in 78 people are homeless in Brighton and Hove.
• One in 81 people are homeless in Manchester.
• In the Midlands, one in 96 people are homeless in Birmingham.

While Shelter’s analysis is the most comprehensive overview of recorded homelessness in the country, the figure is likely to be an underestimate due to limited reporting. In addition, some types of homelessness go entirely undocumented, such as sofa surfing, meaning the true figure will be much higher.

Polly Neate continued: “It is shameful that 274,000 people are without a home, and with Covid protections now gone thousands more will be joining them. A shoddy hostel room or a freezing cold doorway is no place to wake up on Christmas morning, but sadly so many people will.

“This winter the work of our frontline staff is as critical as ever. Our emergency helpline advisers work 365 days a year, doing everything they can to help people find a safe and secure home. By giving a little the public can help us do a lot – with their support we can keep providing support and advice to thousands of families facing homelessness this year.”

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