Crisis responds to 2020 Budget
11.03.2020
Today, the Chancellor has set out the Government’s Budget for the financial year in which he announced funding for housing and rough sleeping.
Investment commitments included:
- A £12.2 billion Affordable Housing Programme, committing to a 5-year programme helping people into home ownership and those most at risk of homelessness
- A decision to cut the interest rates on Public Works Loan Board lending for social housing after the recent rise
- £1.1bn investment in infrastructure for housing and £400m fund which devolved authorities can bid for to deliver homes on brownfield sites
- Confirming £237m already announced for accommodation for 6000 people moving on from rough sleeping, plus £144m for associated support services, plus £262m for substance misuse treatment
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “Missing from today’s Budget is bold action to prevent people from being forced on the streets in the first place, such as clear targets for increasing the supply of social housing and restoring housing benefit to cover the cost of rent. Rough sleeping is the most brutal and devastating form of homelessness and while the additional funding announced to tackle this is much needed, a dark cloud remains over the Government’s ability to end rough sleeping within this Parliament without tackling its root causes.
“The lack of investment in housing benefit is a complete missed opportunity for the Chancellor to free some of the most vulnerable people from the grip of poverty. The upcoming Spending Review must restore housing benefit to cover at least the lowest third of rents – the Government cannot continue to look the other way while people are forced into homelessness under the constant pressure of rising rents and low incomes.”