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PAC report 'Tackling Homelessness' - LGA Statement
Cllr Adam Hug, Housing spokesperson for the LGA responded to the Public Accounts Committee report on 'Tackling Homelessness'
“Homelessness is one of the biggest and most urgent pressures facing local government. As this report highlights, as more and more people turn to their council for support and councils have little choice but to resort to costly temporary accommodation, local authorities are spending less on funding homelessness prevention.
“The temporary accommodation subsidy, currently stuck at 2011 levels, needs to be urgently addressed in the Spending Review as this is driving ever higher-spend on temporary accommodation and limiting the resources available for homelessness prevention.
“Continuing to up-rate Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of local rents beyond 2025/26, will also help to ensure there is a sufficient supply of affordable properties available to those entitled to full support with their housing costs - this is crucial to helping households to find and sustain tenancies in the private rented sector and prevent homelessness.
“There also needs to be a genuine cross-departmental approach to tackling this crisis, as part of a long-term government strategy, with councils given the powers and resources needed to address the national shortage of affordable housing.”
Homelessness crisis places unsustainable pressure on local authorities' crumbling finances
