As an organisation, it’s part of our job to stay up to date when it comes to homelessness and the worsening situation here in the UK. From the ongoing housing crisis to soaring overheads for charities and organisations like us, there are a lot of issues to tackle, and understanding progress or otherwise at a government and policy level is important.
Here we’re taking a look at homelessness in the UK, and if, by the end of the update, you’d like to support the work that we do, we’ll leave a donation link below.
Housing target slashed by 50%
It’s been revealed that the government’s proposed policy reform could see the annual house building target reduced to 150,000 - 50% less than the original target of 300,000.
A recent report into the crisis urged the government to give greater priority to the building of social housing (as many as 90,000). According to Shelter, over a million households are waiting for social housing. However, in 2022 nearly 30,000 social homes were sold or knocked down, with less than 10,000 being built.
In the same report, the news came out that the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities gave back hundreds of millions of pounds that had originally been budgeted for 2022-23. According to the Chartered Institute of Housing, this money could have funded at least 5,000 affordable homes.
When the number of people living in temporary has hit a record high, it’s frustrating to hear that whilst there is more that could be done, that isn’t currently happening.
Charities struggling to meet overheads
The cost of living crisis has impacted so many people, and charities are no exception, with just over half (55%) of charities feel confident they’ll be able to meet their overheads. From premises and equipment to staffing and events, organisations are feeling the pinch of ever growing inflation rates.
This is extremely concerning, considering that over 80% of charities have seen an increase in demand for their services compared to this time in 2022. Both charities and the people they support are struggling to cope with immense financial strain.
Will the ‘end rough sleeping’ target be hit?
There are growing concerns that the government’s target to ‘end rough sleeping for good’ is going to fall drastically short. If anything, current figures are suggesting that we’re actually going backwards in terms of progress.
In February, figures were released giving insight into a single night in autumn in 2022. Over 3,000 people were sleeping rough. This was up over 25% on the total in 2021. And up a staggering 74% above the 2010 level when the first figures were recorded.
Coupled with the dramatic reduction in the availability of social housing, it’s difficult to see how Rishi Sunak and his current government are going to hit their ambitious target of putting an end to rough sleeping.
When it comes to ending the cycle of homelessness, it’s clear there’s a long way to go. And at Simon on the Streets, we won’t rest until we see solid progress being made.
Together with your support, we can continue to support those facing homelessness throughout West Yorkshire. Your donations, fundraising and support at events make a real difference. Can we continue to count on you?
Donate here.