Thousands of homeless 'back on streets by July'

A homelessness charity has warned that thousands of homeless people who have been housed during the coronavirus pandemic could return to the streets by the end of this month.

Crisis acknowledged that more than 14,500 people who were on the streets or at risk of sleeping rough have been given emergency accommodation since the lockdown began, but stressed that contracts between local councils and hotels are due to end as government funding runs out.

Although the government has said that councils must continue to provide accommodation, without central government funding, it remains unclear what practical support they are likely to get, and realistically what they can do to ensure that rough sleepers do not return to the streets.

Councils in England were given £3.2 million from the government as part of an emergency scheme called ‘Everyone In’ in March, which was aimed at stopping the spread of the virus. But earlier in May it emerged that government funding for that scheme was to end.

The charity said the government should take further action to provide everyone with permanent housing, warning that if not people will be forced to return to the streets. It has estimated that it would cost £282 million to provide the people in emergency accommodation with permanent housing and support for the next 12 months.

Matt Downie, director of policy at Crisis, said: "We will take one of two paths here: one is that 15,000 people are permanently helped out of homelessness through the amazing Everyone In scheme, or we will see a massive increase in rough sleeping in this country just at the point when we thought it would be possible to avoid that.

"It's within the government's control to make decisions so that doesn't happen, for example to either continue hotel schemes or to give alternative arrangements to local authorities and individuals."

David Renard, LGA housing spokesman said: “Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, councils have faced significant challenges housing large numbers of homeless people in a short space of time. However, thanks to a monumental effort, the overwhelming majority - nearly 15,000 – of rough sleepers and homeless people have been found accommodation, while councils have also worked closely with those tenants who are experiencing financial difficulty as a result, to help them remain in their homes.

“Following the initial surge in demand for accommodation, councils are also now experiencing an urgent need for more accommodation as people, including young people, continue to face homelessness and rough sleeping. While the recently announced funding for councils to support rough sleepers is positive, we still need clarity from government on what additional practical support will be available to councils to help them move people out of hotels and temporary accommodation and into housing.

“Allowing councils to be able to keep 100 per cent of receipts from Right to Buy sales and extending the deadline to spend the money to at least five years, will also allow councils to get on with the job of building the new homes that people in their areas desperately need.”