Government condemned over its 'abject failure' to tackle homelessness

Damning report accuses ministers of taking 'unacceptably complacent' attitude towards tackling crisis, as number of rough sleepers and homeless families soars to unprecedented levels

Report accuses ministers are failing to tackle 'national crisis' of homelessness after number of rough sleepers soars by 134% since 2011 (AFP)

The Government has been condemned for taking an “unacceptably complacent” attitude towards tackling homelessness, as soaring numbers of people are forced to live on the streets or in temporary accommodation.

A damning report by the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said ministerial attempts to solve the “national crisis” had ended in “abject failure”.

Figures show more than 9,000 people are sleeping rough on the streets of England at any one time – up 134 per cent since 2011. Over 79,000 households, including 120,000 children, are meanwhile homeless and living in temporary accommodation – a rise of 65 per cent since 2010.

Recent research by charity Shelter revealed that child homelessness has reached a 10-year high, with nearly 130,000 children in Britain set to wake up homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas.

But the Government’s commitment to eliminate rough sleeping by 2027 will only address the “tip of the iceberg”, according to the PAC report, which found there to be an “unacceptable shortage” of realistic housing options for the homeless or those at risk of homelessness.

Labour MP Meg Hillier, who chairs the committee, said the level of homeless was “shameful” and said the report must serve as a “wake-up call” for ministers.

“The latest official figures hammer home the shameful state of homelessness in England and the abject failure of the Government’s approach to addressing the misery suffered by many thousands of families and individuals,” she said. “As we approach Christmas there are thousands of children in temporary accommodation – a salutary reminder of the human cost of policy failure.

“The evidence we heard from organisations that work with homeless people should serve as a wake-up call: government decisions are not made in a vacuum and the consequences can be severe.

“The Government must do more to understand and measure the real-world costs and causes of homelessness and put in place the joined-up strategy that is so desperately needed.”

The report warns that there are also “hidden homeless”, people who are housed by family and friends in shifting circumstances, but not captured as part of the official figures.

It states that action taken by the Department for Communities and Local Government has ”lacked urgency”, saying its “light touch” approach to working with the local authorities tackling homelessness has “clearly failed”.

The MP said the new Homelessness Reduction Act to provide the solution to homelessness would ”no doubt help”, but that it cannot be successful unless it is matched by a renewed focus across government on tackling both the supply and affordability of decent housing.

Ms Hillier said this must mean “properly addressing” the shortage of realistic housing options for those at risk of homelessness or already in temporary accommodation, and “getting a grip on the market’s failure to provide genuinely affordable homes, both to rent and to buy”.

“Delegating a problem is not a solution and we do not share the Government’s faith in the cure-all potential of the Homelessness Reduction Act,” she added.

“There are practical steps it can take now – for example, targeting financial support on local authorities with acute shortages of suitable housing, rather than those councils which are simply ready to spend – that would make a real difference to people’s lives.”

In light of the report, John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary, accused the Conservative Party of causing the crisis of rapidly rising homelessness, and having “no plan to fix it”.

He added: “This Christmas, the increase in homelessness is visible in almost every town and city in the country, but today’s report confirms Ministers lack both an understanding of the problem and any urgency in finding solutions.

“After an unprecedented decline in homelessness under Labour, Conservative policy decisions are directly responsible for rising homelessness. You can’t help the homeless without the homes, and ministers have driven new social rented homes to the lowest level on record.”

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who sits on the committee, said the Government was failing to protect the most vulnerable in society, saying that its “complacency” on this issue was “totally unacceptable” and must come to an end.

“Instead of passing the buck to local authorities, the Government must take responsibility for ending rough sleeping and building the truly affordable homes the country needs,” she added.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of charity Crisis, who gave evidence to the PAC, said there was “no excuse not to act”, urging that the crisis “cannot go on”.

“Over Christmas and throughout winter, thousands of people across the country will be sleeping out in the cold, and thousands more will be trapped in unsuitable temporary accommodation, or sleeping in cars or on public transport, hidden from help,” he continued.

“The mental and emotional impacts of this crisis cannot be understated: the average age of death of a homeless person is just 47 years old, and they are nine times more likely to commit suicide than the general public. This cannot go on.

“When we know that homelessness can be ended and prevented from happening in the first place, there’s no excuse not to act.”

A government spokesman said: “Tackling homelessness is a complex issue with no single solution, but we are determined to help the most vulnerable in society. That’s why we are providing more than £1bn up to 2020 to reduce all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping and we are bringing in the Homelessness Reduction Act, which is the most ambitious reform in decades, to ensure people get support sooner.

“In addition, we have established a Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce across Government, with support from experts, so we can respond as effectively as possible.”