The National Audit Office reported that significant success has been achieved on key Government homelessness targets. There have been large falls in both the numbers of people sleeping rough, and families with children living in bed-and-breakfast (B&B) accommodation as an emergency response to homelessness.
Rough sleeping, use of B&B hotels to accommodate families, and recently new cases of homelessness have been falling. However, there are currently around 100,000 households placed in temporary accommodation, under the homelessness legislation, although over 80% of these are in self-contained homes.
Since March 2002, when a formal target was set, the number of families with children in B&B accommodation has fallen by 80%, and the number residing for more than six weeks in B&B accommodation has fallen by 96%. Legislation now dictates that families with children should only be in B&B accommodation as an emergency measure, and even then for no longer than six weeks.
The recorded number of rough sleepers has fallen by over 70% since 1998. The target was exceeded in 2002, and reductions have been sustained in subsequent years. Having a target has helped stimulate new local approaches to the problem, and vulnerable adults are now better identified and supported by homelessness services. The report comments that there needs to be better information about move on arrangements for ex-rough sleepers.
