Council sees “shocking” rise in homelessness

6 December 2016

On one night alone, Southwark’s outreach officers counted 32 street homeless people, over three times as many as the figure of ten in 2011. 

Like the rest of London, the borough has seen a steady increase in rough sleepers, particularly those who are destitute migrants over the past few years. However, this quarter, the greatest increase is with UK nationals, particularly those with drug or alcohol issues. 

In Southwark, an inner London borough, the work starts when contact is made with individuals. Those who are found to be sleeping rough for the first time are taken to the GLA’s No Second Night Out hub by the outreach team.  Individuals are given a roof over their head for the night before a permanent housing solution is sought. People are assessed and connected to the borough or country they are affiliated with. If their local connections are with Southwark they are referred to the council’s housing solutions team. 

Sadly, some people from Eastern European countries who have been unable to sustain employment or claim benefits can easily be vulnerable to becoming street homeless. The council and its partners recruited a number of officers who speak European languages in order to assist in resolving their situation. 

As well as those who are street homeless, many people who currently have a roof over their head can quickly become in danger of losing it through financial problems, drug or alcohol misuse, family breakdown or overcrowding. Many families are really feeling the pinch of the cost of living in London, and genuinely affordable housing is a dwindling resource. 

As part of its drive towards excellence in homelessness prevention, Southwark Council successfully bid for a £1m share of £20m the Government has pledged for its Trailblazer project. The money will be used for the most important part of tackling homelessness:  the root cause, and preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place. The council already has an exemplary record in reducing the number of young people particularly that lose their homes after family breakdown. 

Cllr Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for housing, said, “It is shocking to see that homelessness is increasing. While the Trailblazer funding helps deal with the solution, the bigger picture is that more people are under threat of losing their homes and becoming homeless in many different ways. The impact of welfare reform, benefit caps and elements of the Housing and Planning Act is that more people, those not yet visible on the street, are in serious danger of losing their homes. “

“I am pleased to see that the Pay to Stay element of the Housing and Planning Act has been stalled, as we see the real picture of how any effective increase in the cost of renting can affect families and leave them vulnerable to homelessness, particularly when there simply isn’t the supply of affordable housing in the private sector.”

Page last updated: 06 December 2016