“Homelessness pressures, combined with depleting social housing stock and an unaffordable private rented sector feels like a perfect storm for already stretched council services."
Responding to a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman marking five years since the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force, Cllr Darren Rodwell, Housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:
“Councils work incredibly hard to prevent the tragedy of homelessness from happening, as well as supporting those who find themselves affected.
“Homelessness pressures, combined with depleting social housing stock and an unaffordable private rented sector feels like a perfect storm for already stretched council services.
“It is crucial that the Government brings forward its commitment to removing Section 21 evictions, and looks at developing a cross-departmental homelessness prevention strategy which addresses the drivers and levers of homelessness within central government policy.
“The building of affordable homes must also be prioritised, and councils should be given the powers and resources to build 100,000 social homes a year to address the national shortage of affordable housing and reduce the number of people on a social housing waiting list.
“We would also like the administrative responsibilities of the Act streamlined, as it takes away from direct contact with the individuals in need and requires a higher skill level role, making recruitment even more difficult.”