Responding to a Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee report calling for government to establish a £100 million housing support fund to end rough sleeping once the pandemic is over, Cllr Giles Archibald, the District Councils’ Network’s Better Lives spokesperson, said:
“This report echoes our calls for the housing crisis to be at the centre of the Government’s exit strategy, as part of its recovery effort to support people as we come through this pandemic.
“Councils, landlords, charities and other partners have worked hard to keep rough sleepers off the streets and are doing all they can to avoid people becoming homeless. However, we are in unprecedented times and have grave concerns for the months ahead unless action is taken now.
“Despite increases in the Government’s hardship fund, there has been a significant rise in Universal Credit claimants in the last month alone, putting pressure on councils and adding to concerns that there is still a large gap between what people receive in local housing allowance and what they have to pay in rent.
“Any new funding to support the supply of adequate accommodation for rough sleepers once the pandemic is over needs to also be accompanied by other long-term measures to prevent homelessness.
“These include permanently lifting housing benefit for tenants in private rented housing, increased funding for councils to prevent homelessness, and to invest in a renaissance of council house building to create homes, jobs and growth.”
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