Homelessness could rise by 25% by the end of the decade. Here's how Andy Burnham can take action

Rates of homelessness are set to increase by 25% by the end of the decade without intervention, a progressive think tank has warned.

The housing crisis is shaping up to be a key policy area for likely prime minister Andy Burnham, who has promised the “biggest council housebuilding programme since the post-war period”.

But campaigners are urging him to enact a “Housing First” approach quickly to prevent 50,000 more people becoming homeless by 2030, as revealed by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and IPPR North.

The proposals include introducing a national programme to provide shelter for those who are sleeping rough or at imminent risk of doing so, inspired by Manchester’s ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme launched by Burnham in 2018.

The report points out that the Right to Buy scheme, which allows eligible council tenants to buy their homes at a discount, has depleted the nation’s social housing stock. Burnham has previously blamed the scheme for worsening the housing crisis.

Councils should receive urgent support to bring long-empty homes back into use, which would boost housing numbers and mean fewer people rely on expensive and poor-quality temporary accommodation, says IPPR.

Dr Maya Singer Hobbs, author and senior research fellow at IPPR, says: “People going through what might be the toughest time of their lives need stability and support, and that starts by having a place to call home.

“Housing-led approaches are about making sure that people can get the support they need, while also having a permanent roof over their heads and certainty over where they will live.

“We know these approaches work. We just need government to help support councils and mayors to put them into practice.”

Not only will these measures protect prevent people from sleeping rough, but it will also be better value for taxpayers, the think tank argues.

Read more:

• Andy Burnham’s approach to housing could put him on a collision course with Donald Trump
• Nationalisation, buses and homes for rough sleepers: This is what Andy Burnham’s Britain would look like
• Labour aims to halve number of rough sleepers by 2029 with new £3.5bn homelessness strategy

Currently, councils spend billions on costly temporary accommodation such as hostels and B&Bs. However, IPPR says this system does not offer stability nor a “genuine pathway out of homelessness”.

Pixie*, a 49-year-old woman from Oxfordshire, was placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation after sofa-surfing with her dog and sleeping in a tent for two weeks.

“There was one B&B which I will never forget as it had no cooking facilities, not even a fridge,” she said. “I also had to share the bathroom with men which made me feel unsafe and exacerbated my anxiety.

“When you’re living in temporary accommodation you sleep with one eye open, especially as a single female and as someone who has gone through domestic abuse.”

After being settled into permanent accommodation by homelessness charity Crisis, Pixie says her overall confidence has improved.

In response to the report, Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis, said: “For too long we’ve spent billions of pounds managing homelessness when we should be focused on ending it.

“This prolongs the problem and creates misery in return. It’s left record numbers of households across England stuck in temporary accommodation because private rents are unaffordable and there’s a chronic shortage of social homes.  

“But it doesn’t have to be like this. By adopting a Housing First philosophy we can fundamentally change the political diagnosis and prescription for homelessness. Prioritising secure, affordable homes is a simple yet highly effective way to end homelessness – and it’s been shown to work in other countries such as Finland and here in the UK in Greater Manchester.  

“There is a huge opportunity for a new prime minister to show at national level the art of the possible. Concerted political action to tackle the housing crisis can bring hope back to communities and ensure that everyone has the essential foundation of a safe, affordable home.”

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