World

UK Homelessness Increases

by liamssoft | August 31, 2011 at 08:29 am

197 views | 23 Recommendations | 4 comments

The charity Crisis claims that over 600,000 households are now over-crowded, causing a 'hidden homelessness' in the most popular areas, such as London and the south-east.

The study, written by academics from the University of York and Heriot-Watt University, draws attention to the large increase in the number of people placed in social housing by councils.

Last year over 44,000 people were given social housing, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year. This is the first time the figure has increased for nearly a decade.

And the number of people housed by councils in temporary accommodation such as hotel rooms has increased by 14 per cent, to 189,000. Government reforms are set to limit the time people can stay in temporary accommodation to one year, a move criticised by Crisis.

Although only a small minority of the homeless actually sleep rough, that number also seems to be rising, with eight per cent more people sleeping on the streets in London

Half of London's rough sleepers are migrants from outside the UK, particularly from eastern Europe. They have often come to Britain but found themselves unable to secure work or benefits, and without the money to return home.

dailymail.co.uk

The economic downturn and the government's deep cuts to welfare will drive up homelessness over the next few years, raising the spectre of middle class people living on the streets.

The charity says the evidence is that the current recession has seen the poor suffer the most, but other parts of society may be in jeopardy if the government's radical welfare agenda is acted on as the economy stutters.

"Any significant reduction of the welfare safety net in the UK as a result of coalition reforms may, of course, bring the scenario of middle-class homelessness that much closer," the report states.

The charity says that the government needs to reverse cuts to housing benefit and invest urgently in new housing. It also calls on ministers to withdraw the most radical provisions in the localism bill, which would make "temporary accommodation" for needy families just that. Under the new legislation, councils would be forced to remove parents and children who have been in a hotel for a year. At present the assistance is open-ended.

guardian.co.uk

54 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

well.... (not verified)

at 08:54 on August 31st, 2011

They should stay in Eastern Europe then. If there isnt any housing/work/benefits for them.

YankeeJim

at 09:01 on August 31st, 2011

"Well," the mistake was made accepting more immigrants than the national economy can support. It is not the individual immigrant's fault, but the fault of the government that failed to understand its capacity. The same is true in the USA.

Once the mistake is made and the burden is upon the nation, the solution isn't to send them back.

well.... (not verified)

at 20:03 on August 31st, 2011

We can half agree Jim. The government is at fault for admitting people than they can support. However, individuals must also accept responsibility for their on actions and choices. As far as I am aware , nobody forced them to go to the UK seeking work, it was their own choice to do this andthey must be prepared to accept the possible consequences of their actions. They are not mindless animals who are incapable of understanding. The biggest factor in them being in the UK is that they chose to be there. The UK government does not owe them their happiness.The government is not there to protect people from the consequences of their own actions.

The 1

at 12:05 on August 31st, 2011

I just saw a statistic yesterday that only 63.5 percent of men in America are currently employed. I'm sure our homeless population is increasing also ! Good story !