Lisa Nandy MP: we must break the cycle of spiralling homelessness

Research from the housing charity Shelter states that 354,000 people in England are now homeless, a 14 per cent increase from this time last year.

In Wigan alone, Shelter estimates that 505 people will be homeless this Christmas, including 245 children.

The Government has inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory with thousands of families trapped in temporary accommodation and soaring numbers of people living rough on our streets.

Too many people have been let down in recent years by a lack of investment in local homelessness preventative services.

We now face a record high of 123,000 homeless households across the country including 160,000 children being forced into temporary accommodation.

Around 40 per cent of homeless families are living in B&Bs or nightly-let accommodation, and the use of emergency accommodation has doubled in three years.

Often such accommodation lacks basic facilities, leaving parents struggling to cook healthy meals for their children and allowing little space for their kids to play or do their homework.

This Government is determined to break the cycle of spiralling homelessness and get us back on track to ending it for good.

Last week we announced the largest ever investment in homelessness prevention services with a £1bn package to tackle, reduce and prevent

homelessness.

As part of this, councils across Greater Manchester will get £40m from the Government to tackle homelessness next year.

This funding boost will ensure more resources are available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to help people off the streets and into secure housing as well as supporting more homeless families to get out of temporary accommodation.

Councils like ours in Wigan will now be better equipped to step in early to stop households becoming homeless in the first place.

This includes mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, help find new homes and deposits to access private renting.

The Government has also announced an emergency £10m fund to protect people sleeping rough this winter.

Over £500,000 has been allocated to local authorities in Greater Manchester to ensure rough sleepers can access a safe and warm bed.

More widely, the Government are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, building 1.5 million homes over the next Parliament.

We are also abolishing “no fault” evictions to help protect private renters from being exploited by unscrupulous landlords.

This new investment will build on the excellent work that Wigan Council and local charities such as The Brick already do in our area to help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so.

Last year The Brick provided over 14,373 safe beds for 422 individuals and its Outreach Team supported 722 people facing homelessness.

People can support their vital work this winter by visiting www.thebrick.org.uk/support-us/donate.

I wish everyone in Wigan a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and thank all the charities, organisations, council staff and volunteers who will be working hard to help those most in need over the festive period.