A homelessness task force has been set up by London councils to tackle the temporary accommodation crisis, as new figures reveal the extent of the problem across the country
Across England, the number of homeless families in temporary accommodation has reached a five year high, according to government figures.

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) homelessness figures for the second quarter of 1999 show there are now 57,430 households placed by councils in temporary accommodation across England - the highest number since 1993.

Just over half of the families - 31,590 - were in London.

Now a homelessness task group, consisting of council housing officers and councillors has been formed by the Association of London Government to cooordinate action.

Chaired by ALG housing panel chair Pete Challis, the group is to work on a package of proposals to set before the housing minister within the next few weeks.

These include the use of homelessness in determining housing capital resources allocated to councils.

Last month figures from the London Research Centre showed the number of people in temporary accommodation in London had gone up by almost 40 per cent in two years (Housing Today, issue 146).

ALG housing policy officer Duncan Bowie said: "The crisis is continuing to worsen, especially in London. The London boroughs are facing a desperate situation and are having to scratch around for temporary accommodation, including bed and breakfasts and leasing private housing."

Homelessness charity Shelter director Chris Holmes said: "Low income families are falling foul of the housing boom. There is an enormous squeeze on housing available for these families because many private landlords are selling homes to cash-in on the boom."

Source

Housing Today