This page sets out some of the issues around homelessness and bad housing in England and Wales that we are concerned about.
Latest News: Housing Justice publishes Agenda for Brown
We have outlined some of the issues that we think the new Gordon Brown-led government must tackle in the housing and homelessness area. Click here for the Agenda for Brown>>
It doesn’t sound like too much to ask, does it?
Good housing for everyone. We’re not talking mansions, just a decent place to live, a home from which to face the world.
In a civilised society like ours, everyone should have access to a proper home - and we all know that a home is much more than just a physical shelter. How we are housed affects our health, education, freedom, dignity, security, family life and the communities we live in. So why are people still enduring the misery of sleeping rough or raising children in squalor?
The reasons are complex but one thing is sure – there is a desperate shortage of good, affordable housing in the UK. All of us should be concerned about this. All of us can help in some way.
Homelessness and the threat of homelessness remain a daily reality for many families, couples and single people. Poor housing conditions affect many more throughout the length and breadth of the country. The lack of a decent home threatens every area of a person’s life - employment, health, relationships and education.
Some of the key issues in housing and homelessness
Housing is expensive to rent
There is a severe shortage of private rented accommodation accessible to those on low incomes. The shortage is most acute in London and the south east where many workers are on low wages and rents are high. Many potential tenants cannot afford a deposit or rent in advance while most private landlords will not accept tenants receiving housing benefit. People under 25 are particularly disadvantaged by the single room rent regulations.
Housing is expensive to buy
House prices are at a historic high pushing buying a house out of reach of all but the richest in society. Today an average house costs over £158,00 whilst the average income is around £26,000 - the houses thus costs more than six times the average income. The average figure masks large variations across the country - prices are highest in London where on average over £205,000 is needed to buy a house. Figures from the Halifax show that housing is affordable to first time buyers in 92% of places in the UK.
We're not building enough social housing
Social house building is at low levels - last year only 20,000 new housing association homes and virtually no council homes were built. Since 1979 over 1.6million council houses have been sold under the right to buy policy - these have not been replaced. A government expert in 2004 estimated that we need to be building at least another 23,000 new social homes a year to meet on going demand and begin to address the backlog.
Over 159,000 homeless households apply for help each year... but only 73,000 are able to be rehoused by their councils
In England in the year April 2006 to March 2007 159,330 homeless families applied to their local authority for rehousing but only 73,360 were accepted for rehousing. To be accepted for rehousing the family must show that they fall into one of the priority need groups, are unintentionally homeless and have a local connection to that area.
There are marked regional variations in the number of acceptances of homelessness. London accounts for a fifth of England’s homelessness acceptances but areas such as the North East and Yorkshire and Humberside where there is a plentiful supply of housing still have higher than average numbers of homelessness acceptances.
There are still over 87,000 homeless families having to endure temporary accommodation
In the first quarter of 2007 there were over 87,000 families in temporary accommodation whilst waiting for rehousing.
These are families who have been accepted as homeless and therefore eligible for rehousing by local authorities. Until they are able to move into new secure accommodation they are placed into temporary accommodation which is often unsuitable, insecure and expensive. Some of it is private rented housing, some is shared hostels and bed and breakfast hotels and some is hard-to-let council stock.
Living in temporary accommodation is hard for families and children in particular are affected as their schooling and home life is disrupted which can put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives. Imagine having to live in one room along with other family members - it is hard for anyone to get their homework and other studies completed.
Proving eligibility for re-housing under the homelessness legislation can be difficult, especially if the person has to demonstrate vulnerability.
Homelessness is caused by many factors, often beyond a person’s control, such as the ending of a private tenancy, unemployment, bereavement, relationship breakdown, debt, ill health. The most common reason for homelessness (38% of cases) arises because parents, relatives or friends (mostly parents) are no longer willing or able to provide accommodation.
Many people live in poor quality accommodation
Many tenants, both in the social and private rented sectors, live in substandard accommodation which threatens their health. They have little bargaining power to get the landlord to carry out the repairs, or opportunities for a transfer to another more suitable property.
Many people are ineligible for rehousing
Single people and childless couples including young people are still largely excluded from access to local authority housing.
Housing benefit can cause homelessness
The administration of Housing Benefit (a means-tested benefit to contribute towards the cost of rents) is slow and often inaccurate, resulting in claimants being threatened with homelessness and even made homeless due to non-payment of rent. The level of housing benefit is restricted, which affects a claimant's ability to find a property in the private sector in areas of high demand and high rent levels
The complexities of the law, the lack of housing options and the causes of homelessness all contribute to threaten the lives of those in society least able to look after themselves.
In summer 2003 Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness (KCAH) celebrated its tenth year of helping people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. Many homeless people had been coming to church doors asking for help, and Kingston Christians wanted to respond.
In partnership with Churches Together in Surbiton and New Malden, they set up an advice centre, which sees about 370 new clients each year and KCAH has now extended to include a temporary housing project accommodating 40 single people for up to two years who are helped to find work, learn to budget and save towards a deposit.
KCAH is supported by 51 local churches of all denominations and two synagogues. They provide funding, gifts of food and household goods. A team of volunteers give pastoral support and help to develop independent living skills.