British homelessness

Homelessness jumps by 14% in a year

Almost 50,000 households across England accepted as homeless as repossession rates and unemployment rise

the Guardian, 8 March, 2012

The number of people officially classed as homeless in England has jumped by 14% – the biggest increase for nine years – as what charities have described as a "perfect storm" of rising repossession rates and unemployment drives thousands more families into temporary accommodation.

Across England, 48,510 households were accepted as homeless by local authorities in 2011, according to figures published by the Department for Communities and Local Government on Thursday.

The data shows 69,460 children or expected children are in homeless households, with three-quarters of the households accepted containing children.

Homelessness had been going down since 2003, with a small increase in 2010, and the scale of this rise has shocked housing campaigners.

Leslie Morphy, the chief executive of Crisis, said: "Our worst fears are coming to pass. We face a perfect storm of economic downturn, rising joblessness and soaring demand for limited affordable housing combined with government policy to cut housing benefit plus local cuts to homelessness services."