News

There has been a 20 per cent reduction in the number of people becoming homeless, according to national statistics published today, writes Clare Jerrom.

Homelessness acceptances have fallen by almost 7,000 compared with the same period last year, the figures show.

Minister for housing Yvette Cooper welcomed the news. “This is very welcome progress. It hasn’t happened by accident. New local strategies and £200 million of investment in preventing homelessness are making a real difference.”

New laws were introduced under the Homelessness Act 2002 to ensure all local authorities have a homelessness prevention strategy in place. The government also invested the £200 million funding over the past three years to prevent homelessness.

Cooper added: “Already we have cut rough sleeping by 70 per cent and ended the scandal of families living in bed and breakfast accommodation.”

But she warned that the progress on homelessness needed to be maintained including getting families in temporary accommodation into a long-term home.