One in four fear losing homes and nearly three quarters want help for single homeless strengthened
8 December 2011
A poll released on the same day that Government figures showed rising homelessness has revealed that one in four people in Britain is worried about losing their home.
The YouGov survey on behalf of homelessness charity Crisis found that:
- a quarter (25%) of people are concerned about losing their homes or being forced to move out because of Britain's current economic problems.
- a quarter (24%) of people are worried that they could get into difficulties with rent or mortgage payments in the next few months and 6% are already struggling with payments.
After being told that that the current law means that most single homeless people do not have a right to accommodation and that a report by the Local Government Ombudsman found that councils sometimes do not give single homeless people the help they need:
- nearly three quarters (74%) said that they would support a change in the current law so that councils must provide advice, assistance and emergency accommodation to single homeless people.
The poll also asked how people would act and the help they would expect if they became homeless themselves.
- Many (44%) said they would approach their council for accommodation
- Most (57%) believed that if they were homeless then they should be able to get short term emergency accommodation and help to find somewhere more permanent to stay from their council.
Statistics released today by the Department of Communities and Local Government show that 6% more people were found to be unintentionally homeless and in priority need than during the same quarter in 2010. This is the third sustained quarterly rise and reflects the prediction of independent research (The Homelessness Monitor) conducted for Crisis that the economic downturn combined with the Coalition Government's radical reforms and weakening of the welfare state will leave many more people facing the threat or reality of homelessness. There has also been a 27% rise on the same quarter of last year in the use of B&B accommodation nationally and a 44% increase in London.
Responding to the results, chief executive of Crisis Leslie Morphy said:
"With a quarter of people worried about losing their homes and 6% already struggling to make rent or mortgage payments, evidence that the current system is not working for single homeless people really strikes home.
We have always found it shocking that most single homeless people don't have a right to accommodation and are sometimes turned away from council offices without the help they need. This poll shows that once the public know that, the vast majority support a change in the law to improve rights to advice, assistance and accommodation for single homeless people.
If homelessness is not enough to spur the Government into action then public concern should be. We would all like to think that should the worst happen then there would be help available for us - now is the time for ministers to change the law so single homeless people get the help they need."
The polling backs Crisis' new campaign, No One Turned Away, which is calling for a change in the law so that no one need by forced to sleep rough because they have been turned away from their local council.
Editors' notes
For further media information or to request an interview with a Crisis spokesperson, please contact Garry Lemon, Media Communications Manager at Crisis, on 020 7426 5652 or garry.lemon@crisis.org.uk
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2045 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2nd - 5th December 2011. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)
Crisis
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Our innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives.
We are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and advocating solutions informed by research and our direct experience. We have ambitious plans for the future and are committed to help more people in more places across the UK. We know we won't end homelessness overnight or on our own. But we take a lead, collaborate with others and, together, make change happen.