Minister welcomes decline in homelessness

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.