Government subsidies towards councils’ temporary accommodation costs – currently stuck at 2011 levels – need to be “urgently addressed” in the face of rising homelessness, the LGA has warned.
The latest quarterly statistics show that, as of 31 March 2024, 117,450 households were in temporary accommodation, an increase of 12.3 per cent from 31 March 2023. Households with children increased by 14.7 per cent, to 74,530, and single households increased by 8.5 per cent, to 42,920. Compared with the previous quarter, the number of households in temporary accommodation had increased by 4.3 per cent.
An LGA spokesperson said: “The shortage of affordable housing means that more and more people are having to turn to their local council for support, and these figures worryingly show councils are supporting another record-high number of households living in temporary accommodation.
“The temporary accommodation subsidy gap, currently stuck at 2011 levels, needs to be urgently addressed, as this is driving ever higher spend on temporary accommodation and limiting the resources available for homelessness prevention.
“The Government’s ban on ‘no-fault’ evictions, which are driving rising homelessness rates, also needs to be brought forward as quickly as possible.
“Councils want to turn the tide of rising homelessness.
“A genuine cross-departmental approach to tackling this crisis, as part of a long-term government strategy, is key, with councils given the powers and resources needed to address the national shortage of affordable housing.”