Hidden homelessness costs £1.4 bn a year, says charity

July 13, 2004 in Adults

Homelessness charity Crisis has called on the government to
undertake a census of Britain’s hidden homeless to start to
tackle a problem it estimates is costing the country £1.4bn a
year, writes Paul Stephenson.

The charity also warned that the number of people living in bed and
breakfast accommodation or hostels, or in temporary arrangements
with family or friends could rise from an estimated 380,000 to one
million by 2020.

Launching a campaign this week to publicise the scale of the
problem, the charity said the huge cost of hidden homelessness came
from temporary accommodation costs and benefit payments, together
with lost income.

It said the government must recognise hidden homelessness as a
major social problem, and establish the scale and distribution of
the total homeless population, so that it can start to address the
needs of these people.