Councils in England are set to receive a cash injection of nearly £1 billion next year to tackle the plight of homelessness that has swept across towns and cities in recent years.
Angela Rayner has announced that the funding will help councils intervene early to stop households becoming homeless, including through mediation with landlords to prevent eviction.
It can also be used on services that prioritise access to permanent social housing for people with a history of repeat homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse.
Speaking in the wake of the announcement, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary said it is the “largest-ever investment” that marks a “turning point” in efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness, adding that it is “time to turn the tide”.
“This historic funding comes alongside our work developing a cross-government strategy back on track to end homelessness, pulling every lever of the state, to ensure that we deliver not just sticking plasters but a long-term plan.”
The latest statistics show that homelessness, which includes people living in temporary accommodation, is at record levels, with 123,100 households in England in temporary accommodation in the three months to the end of June.
The figure marks an increase of 16.3 per cent on the same period the previous year.
The same statistics showed 159,380 children were in temporary accommodation between April and June this year.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the country faces “the worst housing crisis in living memory” with some 40 per cent of homeless families living in B&Bs or nightly-let accommodation, as the use of such emergency accommodation has doubled in three years.