Current Events > Child homelessness surges by 80% under Conservative-led government, figures show

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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/homeless-children-temporary-accommodation-conservative-theresa-may-a8928291.html
Child homelessness has surged by 80 per cent since the Conservatives came into government in 2010, with a new household now found to be homeless every five minutes, official figures show.

Newly published data reveals 124,490 minors were housed in temporary accommodation in England at the end of 2018, marking an increase of 55,440 since the same period in 2010 and a rise of 33 per cent in the last four years.

Campaigners warned that families were being pushed to the hard edge of the housing crisis by crippling private rents, frozen benefits and endless waiting lists for social homes that dont exist.

It comes amid mounting concern that cuts to housing benefit and reduced funding for homelessness services, as well as a lack of affordable homes and regulation in the private rented sector, are pushing more children into destitution.

The figures show that the number of households in temporary accommodation stood at 83,700 in December 2018, marking a 74 per cent rise since 2010. Around three-quarters of these families include children.

The number of young people who have been in B&Bs for more than six weeks is up by 440 per cent in the same period, from 150 to 810.

Shadow housing minister Alex Cunningham said the shameful rise in homeless children stuck in temporary accommodation would be the legacy of this failed Conservative government.

Rising homelessness is a crisis of the Tories own making as weve seen investment in the number of low-cost homes to buy and rent tumble, he added. Add to that cuts in housing benefit, reduced funding for homelessness services and a private rental sector lacking any real protections and we know why so many are being let down reshiram.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: Its impossible to ignore the frightening levels of homelessness in England right now. Hundreds of thousands of people are desperate for help, from those sleeping on the street to families trapped in emergency B&Bs.

More people are being pushed to the hard edge of the housing crisis by crippling private rents, frozen benefits, and endless waiting lists for social homes that dont exist. Its clear this is a national emergency that wont go away on its own real change must happen now.
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Yeah that's really bad.
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Those kids are just lazy. Need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get a job!
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Labour started this mess. They're the ones that put so many insane restrictions on construction and realtor companies that nobody is building because it's just not profitable. The shortage is primarily due to the fact that housing prices are through the roof because nobody is building.
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Rent controls aren't the solution as it will hurt supply in the long run and less supply means a higher market rate.

That said it seems like the current government has focused completely on Brexit as that has a much bigger impact on the economy.

Yeah, we'll just ignore the fact that the vast majority of them are homeless in largely liberal cities
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s0nicfan posted...

Labour started this mess.

So, 9 years already, how long does the current government get to blame the previous one?
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Thanks, trump
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Sir Will posted...

s0nicfan posted...

Labour started this mess.

So, 9 years already, how long does the current government get to blame the previous one?

Until the regulations are removed from the books, which the Tories don't have enough votes in government to do. As long as Labour continues to defend and fight to keep their bullshit housing rules on the books, they can own the repercussions of no new housing being built.
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s0nicfan posted...

Sir Will posted...

s0nicfan posted...

Labour started this mess.

So, 9 years already, how long does the current government get to blame the previous one?

Until the regulations are removed from the books, which the Tories don't have enough votes in government to do. As long as Labour continues to defend and fight to keep their bullshit housing rules on the books, they can own the repercussions of no new housing being built.

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