New government figures reveal stark reality of homelessness crisis, says CIH

Commenting on the latest statutory homelessness figures for England at the end of December 2018 released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government today, Chartered Institute of Housing deputy chief executive, Gavin Smart, said:

“These figures reveal the stark reality of our homelessness crisis. It is quite simply a national disgrace that over 124,000 children are stuck in temporary accommodation, including B&Bs. The government must make sure that councils have the resources they need to properly support people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

“But ultimately, we will never truly tackle this issue without addressing our chronic shortage of affordable housing and making sure the welfare system properly supports people on lower incomes. We need to start building many more of the right homes, in the right places, at the right prices. For many people on lower incomes, the only truly affordable option is social rent, but our analysis shows that more than 165,000 homes for social rent were lost between 2012 and 2018.”