London housing crisis becoming 'unmanageable', warns umbrella group
London's housing crisis is becoming "unmanageable" as one in 50 Londoners are now living in temporary accommodation, an umbrella group warned, urging the government to help low-income families.
London boroughs are housing almost 170,000 people, including 83,500 children, in temporary accommodation, according to data collected by cross-party umbrella group London Councils, published on Thursday.
The number of households needing homelessness support swelled by over 15 per cent in the last year due to cost of living pressures, figures show.
Darren Rodwell, London Council’s executive member for housing, called for emergency action from the government to help low-income families meet housing costs.
“Homelessness pressures across the capital are fast becoming unmanageable."
"Ministers need to treat this as the emergency it clearly is. Much more action is needed to help low-income households avoid homelessness and to reverse the rising numbers relying on temporary accommodation," Rodwell added.
London Councils has asked the government to increase Local Housing Allowance to help people meet rents, support for councils to buy accommodation sold by private landlords and for a boost in homelessness prevention grant funding.
A recent research found homelessness rate across England is at its highest since 2018 due to government policies.
According to official government data for January to March, around 79,840 households were owed help from local authorities to address homelessness or the risk of homelessness, as experts blame a “shameful” lack of social housing.
The numbers have sparked calls for the government to reform renting laws faster and build more affordable housing.
Campaigners warned that “the time for empty words on building social homes” had “long past," with homelessness charity Shelter calling on the government to take decisive action to prevent the situation from becoming worst.
The UK is stuck in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, with high rates of inflation leaving people struggling to pay for essentials and meet rapidly rising rental prices.
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