One in 50 Londoners homeless as housing ‘disaster’ unfolds

About one in 50 Londoners are now homeless and living in temporary accommodation, according to new research from London Councils.

Based on its latest survey of boroughs’ homelessness data, London Councils estimates the number of homeless residents in temporary accommodation has risen to almost 170,000.

This figure includes 83,500 children – meaning on average at least one child in every London classroom is homeless.

There has also been a 781per cent increase in homeless families placed in bed and breakfast accommodation beyond the legal six-week limit.

This meant an extra 1,141 London families were stuck in unsuitable B&B accommodation in April 2023 compared to the same month last year.

Boroughs are calling for emergency action from the government to help low-income households meet their housing costs.

London Councils estimate that councils are spending a total of £60million each month on temporary accommodation costs. It is estimated that the net deficit across London boroughs’ homelessness services is set to reach £244million in the year from 2023 to 2024, 37per cent higher than the estimated deficit from 2022 to 2023.

A recent study by Savills and the London School of Economics also found that only 2.3per cent of London listings on Rightmove between 2022 and 2023 were affordable to low-income households using Local Housing Allowance to pay their rent.

Councillor Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing and Planning, said: “This is the latest evidence of the homelessness disaster unfolding in the capital, it is an appalling statistic.

“Homelessness pressures across the capital are fast becoming unmanageable.

“Ministers need to treat this as the emergency it clearly is.”

(Picture: Lina Kivaka, Pexels)