Today the government released statutory homelessness statistics revealing there were 6,980 households living in bed and breakfast across England between October and December 2018, representing a rise of 21% on the same quarter last year.  

More positively, the statistics also show that homelessness has been prevented for 39,640 households since the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force last year.

Responding to the figures, Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive at Crisis, said:  

“It’s both shocking and heartbreaking that thousands of people across England are finding themselves trapped in unsuitable temporary accommodation when what they really need is a stable housing.

"B&B’s are no place to call home. They’re often cramped or sub-standard and sometimes even dangerous. What’s worse is more and more people are becoming trapped in these B&Bs for months or even years at a time with no hope of moving on, in part because Local Housing Allowance (LHA) no longer covers the true cost of renting in large parts of the country.   

"The Homelessness Reduction Act, which places an increased duty on councils to prevent and resolve people’s homelessness, has great potential, but can only work alongside further measures that tackle the root causes of the issue. That’s why we need to see Government bring LHA back in line with market rents. It will help to stop people becoming homeless in the first place and give those stuck in temporary accommodation the chance to access the safe and stable homes they need to move on with their lives.”