16% rise in demand for homeless services as bed spaces decrease

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Communities

The latest government statistics show a 16% rise in demand for homelessness services.

Simultaneous figures released by Homeless Link reveal that almost 4,000 bed spaces have been lost in accommodation services for homeless people.

During January to March 2012, 13,130 applicants were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty – 16% higher than the same quarter last year. Applications and acceptances were at their highest levels since 2008.

The research by Homeless Link, the umbrella organisation for homelessness services in England, also highlights that more than half of local authorities no longer provide hostel accommodation for homeless people. It finds that:

• 62% of local authorities have no direct access hostels (a rise from just 1 in 4 areas having no hostel accommodation in 2008)
• More bed spaces have been lost in the past six months than in the preceding 12 months

Matt Harrison, Interim Chief Executive of Homeless Link, said: “These statistics are worrying and it’s easy to see why – demand for homelessness services is rising while provision is decreasing.

“We may be starting to see the impact of welfare reform, as the number of people having their tenancies ended has increased by almost half. Meanwhile hostels and other services are slipping dangerously close to the wire, trying to provide services to more people with fewer resources.

“Despite the lack of accommodation services available there is no reason why local authorities cannot provide options for homeless people. Emergency accommodation such as Nightstops, which house young people until they are placed in longer term accommodation, can prevent those at risk of homelessness having to sleep on the streets.

“We are calling on every local authority to make sure they are providing emergency accommodation to meet this rise in demand. We have now seen a steady increase in homelessness over the past two years. It is clear that if we don’t act now this problem is only going to get bigger and more expensive for everyone.”

National Housing Federation chief executive David Orr said: “These shocking statistics highlight yet again the scale of our broken housing market.

“Even before the economic crisis, we failed to build enough homes to keep pace with demand. With rents continuing to rise, changes to the welfare system set to bite, and 240,000 new households a year in the UK, this desperate situation will only get worse.

“What this country urgently needs is to build more homes - to drive our economy and to help the 4.5 million people on waiting lists.”

Una Barry, MBE , Deputy Chief Executive of youth homelessness charity Depaul UK said: “Sadly this rise in demand for homelessness services is no surprise to us. We are seeing an increase in young people needing our services. 

"Last year we saw a rise in the number of nights of emergency accommodation offered to young people in the homes of volunteers to over 9,000. This year we’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand, for example bednights provided at Depaul UK’s accredited Nightstop in York have more than doubled from the same period as last year."