Funding gap for youth homelessness in England assessed as 'shocking'
Posted 15.04.24
Centrepoint: Further reading
Centrepoint's latest research, conducted by WPI Economics, has found that local authorities in England are facing a shocking £332 million annual shortfall in youth homelessness funding.
In its most recent Youth Homelessness Databank, Centrepoint estimated that a third of the 119,300 young people in England who asked their councils for support between April 2022 - March 2023 were not assessed. This is despite them being at risk of, or already experiencing homelessness.
Its latest research calculates how much local authorities would need to spend in order to meet obligations under the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) to assess and potentially support those young people.
Centrepoint concludes that, even under the most optimistic scenario, English local authorities would need to see a 12% increase in funding from central government to meet their duties - that is £260 million. This increases all the way up to £424 million in the most pessimistic scenario.
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Generation Rent joins the calls for an end to plans to criminalise people sleeping rough
Posted 11.04.24
Generation Rent: Further reading
Generation Rent has joined other housing and homelessness organisations in calling on the government to end their plans to criminalise people who are being forced to sleep rough in England and Wales.
The government is facing increasing pressure to shelve proposed changes to the law that could see people being fined or arrested for having an "excessive odour", or merely appearing as if they intended to sleep rough.
Generation Rent is calling for actions that establish trust between the authorities and those on the streets and finds ways to connect people in unsafe situations with stable homes and support.
It argues that the threat of fines and prison risks the opposite - stigmatising those forced to sleep rough, and pushing them away from help and into more dangerous environments.
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Over 80,000 households threatened with homelessness due to Section 21 evictions since promise to scrap them
Posted 15.04.24
Homeless Link: Further reading
New analysis has shown that 'no fault' Section 21 evictions have led to households being threatened* with homelessness over 80,000 times since the Conservative Government first announced it would ban the practice.
The number of Section 21 evictions leading to households being threatened with homelessness peaked between April and June 2023 at 6830, a 37% increase on the same time period in 2019 and a 330% increase on the same time period in 2020, when the Government put restrictions on evictions due to the pandemic.
In 2023, the Government introduced the Renters Reform Bill to Parliament to deliver on its commitment to end Section 21 evictions. However, a recent leaked letter revealed a number of planned amendments to the bill, potentially diluting the rights of renters and casting further doubts regarding the claim that the Government would scrap Section 21 evictions by the time of the general election.
*****Why upcoming local elections offer a chance to influence homelessness policy
Posted 03.04.24
Homeless Link: Further reading
On 2nd May elections will be held for councils and mayors in England, including 58 district authorities, 18 unitary authorities and 31 metropolitan districts.
While central Government controls the funding local authorities receive, local councillors do have significant powers that impact homelessness.
The public will also vote for 10 metro Mayors across England on May 2nd.
This blog by Nye Jones, Campaigns Manager at Homeless Link, considers the opportunities presented by the local elections to highlight and influence homelessness policy.
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