Homelessness spending triples in eight years – research
The Local Government Association (LGA) have revealed that homelessness spending now accounts for 60% of councils’ housing budgets, reducing their ability to provide much needed affordable social homes.
The continued cost-of-living crisis has had devastating impacts on housing and individuals and new research from the LGA demonstrates this. The organisation found councils in England are spending three times as much of their housing budgets on homelessness and temporary accommodation than they did in 2015.
Experts also discovered council spending on homelessness has increased by 42% since 2015/16, up £733m.
As for now, spending has surpassed £1bn in 2023/24 and is stretching budgets much further than a decade prior when local authorities paid £315m to support people experiencing homelessness.
‘Homelessness pressures on councils are spiralling as a larger proportion of their budgets is put towards costly temporary accommodation due to a lack of social housing,’ Cllr Claire Holland, leader of Lambeth Council.
‘The way to properly resolve the issue is to address the shortage of suitable housing across the country and build up councils’ stock of social housing.
‘Councils need to be given the powers and resources to build affordable homes their communities need so they can resume their historic role as a major builder of affordable homes.’
In addition to councils being stretched with forking out to help support people sleeping rough, the LGA has also warned that a record-high 113,000 households in temporary accommodation means councils are spending £1.75bn annually. Researchers likewise remarked that both figures are due to rise in future.
Following these shocking statistics, the LGA has called on the next government to reform right to buy to allow all homes sold to be directly replaced as well as exemptions for newly built homes.
The council-led group is also campaigning for the abolition of permitted development rights, which allow commercial buildings to be converted to residential without planning permission, and an increase in affordable housing programme grants to keep on top of inflation.
Image: Etienne Girardet
This Rural Housing Week we’re campaigning for more affordable homes
