The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.
“These figures highlight the extreme pressures homelessness services continue to be under, as a result of rising demand driven by a severe shortage of social housing."
“The LGA has been calling for councils and fire services to be given effective powers and meaningful sanctions to ensure residents are safe – and feel safe - in their homes."
"This extra funding will be crucial to support the tireless efforts of council social care staff to continue to support and protect people who rely of social care."
“We are pleased that councils will now be able to provide much-needed support to many households on the lowest incomes by quickly reducing or removing the need for them to pay council tax."
Retired care workers being asked to return to work could help support those most at risk of the coronavirus outbreak and provide a much-needed boost to an already over-stretched social care workforce, say council leaders.
For the first time, all three stakeholder groups have agreed a joint national approach to the crisis. The fire service organisations say that the measures in the agreement reflect the scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required.
Under the agreement, firefighters will be able to:
Deliver essential items like food and medicines to vulnerable people
Drive ambulances and assist ambulance staff
Retrieve dead bodies, should the outbreak cause mass casualties
Firefighters will continue responding to core emergencies, such as fires and road traffic collisions, but
Responding to the announcement by government that councils have been asked to support rough sleepers and other vulnerable homeless into accommodation by the end of the week, Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said:
“Councils have been working hard to identify rough sleepers and homeless people, get them off the streets and into suitable accommodation and help protect them from the coronavirus.
“This will be a huge task given the shortage of accommodation available with many councils now affected by the recent closures of hotels and the difficulties some have