Government have published the latest quarterly
homelessness statistics in England for the quarter between October
2020 to 31 December 2020.
Figures show the number of households in
temporary accommodation was 95,370, up 8.0% from 88,310 on 31
December 2019.
Between October to December 2020:
- 62,250 households were initially assessed as homeless or
threatened with homelessness and owed a statutory homelessness duty
- down 9.2% from October to December 2019
- 28,270 households were assessed as being threatened with
homelessness, and therefore owed a prevention duty - down 18.5%
from the same quarter last year and linked to a 49.9% decrease in
threatened homelessness due to service of a Section 21 notice to
end an Assured Shorthold Tenancy
- 33,990 households were initially assessed as homeless and
therefore owed a relief duty, up 0.5% from the same quarter last
year; however, households with children fell 13.8%
- 9,670 households were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty
- down 5.3% from October to December 2019. Households with children
fell by 13.6%, reflecting the fall in households with children owed
a prevention or relief duty in the most recent two quarters
- On 31 December 2020 the number of households in temporary
accommodation was 95,370 - up 8.0% from 88,310 on 31 December 2019.
This increase is driven by single adult households, up 45.0% to
28,570, while households with children decreased 4.6% to
59,670
Some of these changes can be linked to the
government and local authority response to COVID-19 including:
- Single households accommodated under the 'Everyone In'
campaign, whereby local authorities were asked to provide emergency
accommodation to rough sleepers, people who were living in shelters
with shared sleeping arrangements, and those at risk of rough
sleeping
- The restriction on private rented sector evictions, and
lengthened notice periods for landlords seeking to evict
tenants
The full statistical release is available on
the Government website.
ARCH Chief Executive John Bibby
comments:
"The latest statistics reflect the action
taken by local councils to tackle rough sleeping under the
"everyone in" campaign in response to the Covid pandemic but with
over 95,000 households living in temporary accommodation the only
long term solution must be the provision of more social rented
housing.
Looking forward, the fact that we have had
a ban on evictions for over twelve months and the reported near 50%
decrease in threatened homelessness in the private rented sector
due to service of a Section 21 notice to end an Assured Shorthold
Tenancy suggests that we may see a significant increase in homeless
applications over the coming months as the eviction ban is lifted
and we gradually move out of lockdown measures and the full impact
on the economy and employment is known."
The Ministry of Housing, Communities &
Local Government have also updated the homelessness code of
guidance for councils. Changes were made to the following
chapters:
- Chapter 4: The duty of public authorities to refer cases in
England to housing authorities
- Chapter 8: Priority need
- Chapter 10: Local connection and referrals to another housing
authority
- Chapter 18: Applications, decisions and
notifications
The updated Homelessness Code of Guidance is
available on the Government website.