Charity demands more action to help homeless families
- 07 Mar
A homeless charity is demanding that more is done so that homeless families get the help they need.
Government figures have revealed that the amount of homeless families being turned away by councils has risen, and homeless charity Homeless Link wants more to be done to help them.
Department for Communities and Local Government statistics show that whilst there was a 5% drop in the number of families presenting themselves as homeless across England between October and December last year, there was also a 5% drop in the number of families accepted as homeless after asking for help, reports 24dash.
At the end of last year there were 28,020 homeless applications across the country, however the acceptance figure, 12,890, highlighted a 5% drop compared to the year before.
Rick Henderson, Homeless Link's chief executive, said: "The fact that fewer people are approaching their council for help is encouraging. However, with more than half of applications being turned away, we have to ask what happens to those who don't get help. Although we recognise that councils have struggled to meet the demand, there needs to be suitable alternatives in place. If people are not supported to find housing, they may be forced into illegal lets, sofa-surfing or even onto the streets. We can prevent this not only with better advice and support but also with more targeted support to stop people losing their homes in the first place. The most common reason for people becoming homeless is their landlords ending their tenancy, a situation that in many cases could be prevented."
What do you think of this? Tweet us your comments @suppsolutions
Image source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1412651
Related articles
- 11 Sep
New service to support homeless people in Birmingham
A new dedicated Homeless Street Triage car will be responding to the rising number of calls reporting homelessness, begging and anti-social drinking in the city, reports 24dash.In the last year –...
- 09 Sep
Gym in Kent hopes to improve health and fitness of homeless people
Riverside is a specialist in working with single homeless people to help them get their lives back on track and into accommodation. Their new project, a gymnasium, has been funded by the Riverside...
- 08 Sep
The cost of homelessness in Hackney doubles
Figures have shown that the cost of homelessness in 2009/10 was £3,092,255 compared to £7,167,440 in 2014/15, with a cut on staff spending from £3,239,653 to £2,608,491 reports 24dash.Hackney...
- 04 Sep
Two homelessness services to be investigated
The Scottish Housing Regulator is set to investigate every aspect of services offered by Dumfries and Galloway Council, whilst also examining how homeless people access help and support at Scottish...
- 03 Sep
Homeless project for young people under threat due to cuts
Platform for Life was expected to attract interest from numerous housing associations with its scheme to convert properties into accommodation for young people in further education, training or work,...
- 01 Sep
Charities warns Irish government of homelessness crisis
Social Justice Ireland is calling for a new funding system that will meet the demand and reveal that only 20 council homes for families have been completed within the first three months of this year,...
- 26 Aug
Newspaper office to become a centre for homeless people
The old office for the Doncaster Free Press is being transformed into flats and other facilities for people who are homeless, reports Hold the Front Page. The building is being turned into...
- 20 Aug
Cuts leaving people in Cheltenham needing homelessness support
Bosses at CCP and Cheltenham Borough Council have said the “devastating impact” of benefit cuts in the town are causing issues for many people, report the Gloucestershire Echo.Over the past few...
- 19 Aug
Concern that homelessness in Cambridge is at ‘tipping point’
Not only do figures show a rise in quarterly numbers by 24 households, they also reveal that over 350 cases were placed in temporary accommodation over the last year, which was a rise of 50 cases on...
- 11 Aug
Charities say Wales is “setting an example” for homelessness
A joint report by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has praised Welsh laws that are trying to address the issues of homelessness, reports the BBC.However they warn that the removal of...
Responding to the DWP Consultation: Housing Benefit Reform - Supported Housing "It was well-run, in a good location, and very useful. I've only one suggestion; as the session went on it would perhaps have been useful for bullet points of general agreement about what should be in the sector response to be displayed and added to as the session went on, maybe on a flip chart. Regarding your response paper, I particularly like the answer you give to question 9. In fact the general: "if it ain't broke don't fix it" response could be pushed harder." M.P. - Adref Ltd
