Today the Homelessness Reduction Bill cleared its third and final reading in the House of Lords. This comes as new homelessness statistics released today show that the number of households in temporary accommodation in England rose by 10% over the course of 2016.

Responding, Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes said: “After the horror of yesterday, democracy continues, with MPs and peers returning to Westminster this morning for their planned business, including a short debate in the House of Lords in which the Homelessness Reduction Bill was finally passed by parliament.

“This is an important moment for tackling homelessness and a major victory for the tens of thousands of campaigners who have joined us in calling for change.

“We’d like to thank the peers and MPs from across the political spectrum who came together to back this bill, as well as Government ministers for their leadership.

“Yet even as we mark this success, we are reminded of why it is so urgently needed. As we have seen from today’s statistics, the number of people in temporary accommodation in England continues to rise. This is the sharp end of the housing crisis, and while this bill is by no means a cure-all, it is a vital part of the solution, and will help to prevent more people from losing their home in the first place.

“We stand ready to work with councils and Government to make the soon-to-be ‘Homelessness Reduction Act’ a success, but we also need action on other fronts if we are to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including measures to build more genuinely affordable homes and a welfare safety-net that works to stop homelessness.”