Today (27 January), new government data shows that in England in the last financial year at least £1.4bn was spent housing people in temporary accommodation, including rooms in B&Bs and hotels.  

Separate government data, also released today, shows that between July-September 2021 96,060 households in England were being housed in temporary accommodation. 

The number of people facing homelessness after receiving a Section 21 notice has continued to increase, with a 33% rise on the previous quarter. This follows the end of the ban on bailiff enforced evictions on 31 May 2021.  

Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis, said: “Over a billion pounds has been spent in one year to extend people’s homelessness rather than end it. That is a false economy with a devastating human cost.

“It is near impossible for anyone to rebuild their lives when they are cramped into one room, sometimes miles away from their support networks and often with no facilities to wash their clothes or cook their own meals.   

“The soaring costs of food and energy are now pushing even more households to the brink. To help prevent untold numbers of families being forced into poverty and homelessness, we urge the UK government to get serious on providing the genuinely affordable homes we need and unfreeze housing benefit to cover the true cost of renting.” 

-Ends-

Notes to editors

Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2020 to 2021 individual local authority data - outturn

Statutory homelessness in England: July to September 2021