Statistics published today show homelessness in the South East falling by 1040 compared with the same period last year. The number of people becoming homeless has continued to decrease nationally for over a year.
The South East has also seen a fall of 5% in the number of families living in temporary accommodation over the last year.
Nationally, the Government has invested more than £200 million over the last three years in services to prevent homelessness, such as rent deposit schemes to enable households to find good quality accommodation in the private sector and mediation services to resolve family relationship breakdowns and enable young people to remain in the family home.
New laws were also introduced under the Homelessness Act 2002 to ensure all local authorities have a strategy in place to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, said:
"This is very welcome progress. It hasn't happened by accident. New local strategies and £200 million of investment nationally in preventing homelessness are making a real difference. Simple things like lending families the money for the rent deposit they need can stop them being stuck without a home."
Yvette Cooper added:
"Already in England we have cut rough sleeping by 70% and ended the scandal of families living in bed and breakfast accommodation for long periods. But we need to keep up the progress on homelessness and get families who are in temporary accommodation into a longer term homes. That includes building more social housing and homes for shared ownership, as well as prevention."
The longer term trend in homelessness had been increasing since the late 70s, with a peak during the early 90s recession, due to a complex range of economic and social factors, such as the amount of affordable housing, family and relationship breakdowns, debt and drug and alcohol misuse. However, since the end of 2003 the number of new cases of homelessness has fallen as a result of new preventive approaches. Today's reduction is the biggest year on year decrease in the number of people becoming homeless nationally for more than 25 years.
The Government has announced plans to build an extra 10,000 social homes a year by 2008 - a 50% increase on current rates. It also has a target in place to cut the number of households living in temporary accommodation by half by 2010. While the vast majority, 83%, are living in good quality, self contained housing, they do not have the security and opportunities that a settled home brings.
Together these measures will further reduce and prevent homelessness and help to meet the Government's ambition of providing decent homes for all in thriving and sustainable communities.
Rent deposit schemes are playing an important role in preventing homelessness. The English House Condition Survey 2001 indicated that 81% of landlords/agents required a rent deposit as a pre-condition of a tenancy. Around 150 English councils now regularly offer single people or families help with rent deposits. Mediation services are working well to resolve family disputes and avoid the breakdown in relationships which can lead to homelessness. Such schemes form parts of homelessness strategies which local councils by law must have, setting out their plans to prevent and reduce homelessness.
Yvette Cooper today also announced the allocation of a £2 million fund to encourage new and creative ways to tackle homelessness. The Homelessness Innovation Fund will encourage partner agencies to work together to build on successful services which are preventing homelessness, such as rent deposit schemes, mediation for families, support for those who have experienced domestic abuse and help for people to keep their existing homes.
Today's statistics also show that the Government's target to end the long-term use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families with children is being sustained.
