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Homelessness in the UK has risen by 23 per cent in the past year, according to government figures. In the first quarter of 2011, 26,400 people appealed to local authorities as homeless compared to 21,410 during the same period the previous year. However, despite this increase, the number of people being accepted as homeless fell by two per cent. There are currently a range of ways to define homelessness, which may explain the confusion in the figures. To be legally defined as homeless, a person must either lack a secure place to live or be unable to stay in current accommodation. However, local authorities will prioritise cases and only allocate housing to those most in need, for example families with children.
In terms of rough sleepers, figures from Broadway, a London-based homelessness charity, show there has been an eight per cent increase in the past year. To resolve the issue, outreach teams are working harder than ever to help people into assisted housing. In the past 12 months, dedicated staff have moved 1,372 people into accommodation and helped a further 326 gain access to vital services.
“We know exactly the size of the task facing us if we want to reduce rough sleeping to as near to zero as possible by the end of 2012,” said chief executive of Broadway, Howard Sinclair. “We believe that as long as resources are used in the right way and we continue to work together towards this common aim then we can continue to make a positive and long-lasting difference in the lives of people who end up having to sleep rough in London.”
Meanwhile, homelessness charity Crisis has warned that government proposals to reform housing benefits are likely to exacerbate the problem. Garry Lemon, a spokesperson for the organisation, told The Pavement that the introduction of short-term tenancies would be particularly detrimental to those in social housing. “There will be an interaction between changes to the homelessness duty and the changes to tenure,” he explained. “At present, a vulnerable homeless single 30-year-old is entitled to a social home. Soon they could be discharged to a one-year tenancy in a shared house. We have been actively lobbying on the Localism Bill to challenge these changes.”
Lemon blames the recent surge in homelessness on the recession and rising unemployment. “Without jobs, people can’t pay rent and mortgages, and end up homeless,” he explained. “Unemployment also puts pressure on relationships and relationship breakdown is the leading cause of homelessness.”
At present the Mayor of London is maintaining his commitment to ending rough sleeping by the end of 2012, and we’ll wait to see whether the rise effects this and other government and local authority pledges across the UK.
October – November 2024 : Change
CONTENTS
BACK ISSUES
- Issue 152 : October – November 2024 : Change
- Issue 151 : August – September 2024 : Being Heard
- Issue 150 : June – July 2024 : Reflections
- Issue 149 : April – May 2024 : Compassion
- Issue 148 : February – March 2024 : The little things
- Issue 147 : December 2023 – January 2024 : Next steps
- Issue 146 : October 2023 – November 2023 : Kind acts
- Issue 145 : August 2023 – September 2023 : Mental health
- Issue 144 : June 2023 – July 2023 : Community
- Issue 143 : April 2023 - May 2023 : Hope springs
- Issue 142 : February 2023 - March 2023 : New Beginnings
- Issue 141 : December 2022 - January 2023 : Winter Homeless
- Issue 140 : October - November 2022 : Resolve
- Issue 139 : August - September 2022 : Creativity
- Issue 138 : June - July 2022 : Practical advice
- Issue 137 : April - May 2022 : Connection
- Issue 136 : February - March 2022 : RESPECT
- Issue 135 : Dec 2021 - Jan 2022 : OPPORTUNITY
- Issue 134 : September-October 2021 : Losses and gains
- Issue 133 : July-August 2021 : Know Your Rights
- Issue 132 : May-June 2021 : Access to Healthcare
- Issue 131 : Mar-Apr 2021 : SOLUTIONS
- Issue 130 : Jan-Feb 2021 : CHANGE
- Issue 129 : Nov-Dec 2020 : UNBELIEVABLE
- Issue 128 : Sep-Oct 2020 : COPING
- Issue 127 : Jul-Aug 2020 : HOPE
- Issue 126 : Health & Wellbeing in a Crisis
- Issue 125 : Mar-Apr 2020 : MOVING ON
- Issue 124 : Jan-Feb 2020 : STREET FOOD
- Issue 123 : Nov-Dec 2019 : HOSTELS
- Issue 122 : Sep 2019 : DEATH ON THE STREETS
- Issue 121 : July-Aug 2019 : INVISIBLE YOUTH
- Issue 120 : May-June 2019 : RECOVERY
- Issue 119 : Mar-Apr 2019 : WELLBEING
- Issue 118 : Jan-Feb 2019 : WORKING HOMELESS
- Issue 117 : Nov-Dec 2018 : HER STORY
- Issue 116 : Sept-Oct 2018 : TOILET TALK
- Issue 115 : July-Aug 2018 : HIDDEN HOMELESS
- Issue 114 : May-Jun 2018 : REBUILD YOUR LIFE
- Issue 113 : Mar–Apr 2018 : REMEMBRANCE
- Issue 112 : Jan-Feb 2018
- Issue 111 : Nov-Dec 2017
- Issue 110 : Sept-Oct 2017
- Issue 109 : July-Aug 2017
- Issue 108 : Apr-May 2017
- Issue 107 : Feb-Mar 2017
- Issue 106 : Dec 2016 - Jan 2017
- Issue 105 : Oct-Nov 2016
- Issue 104 : Aug-Sept 2016
- Issue 103 : May-June 2016
- Issue 102 : Mar-Apr 2016
- Issue 101 : Jan-Feb 2016
- Issue 100 : Nov-Dec 2015
- Issue 99 : Sept-Oct 2015
- Issue 98 : July-Aug 2015
- Issue 97 : May-Jun 2015
- Issue 96 : April 2015 [Mini Issue]
- Issue 95 : March 2015
- Issue 94 : February 2015
- Issue 93 : December 2014
- Issue 92 : November 2014
- Issue 91 : October 2014
- Issue 90 : September 2014
- Issue 89 : July 2014
- Issue 88 : June 2014
- Issue 87 : May 2014
- Issue 86 : April 2014
- Issue 85 : March 2014
- Issue 84 : February 2014
- Issue 83 : December 2013
- Issue 82 : November 2013
- Issue 81 : October 2013
- Issue 80 : September 2013
- Issue 79 : June 2013
- Issue 78 : 78
- Issue 77 : 77
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- Issue 25 : 25
- Issue 8 : 08
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- Issue 26 : 26
- Issue 27 : 27
- Issue 28 : 28
- Issue 1 : 01