Please see below Crisis’s response to Dame Louise Casey’s call to businesses, faith groups and community partners to help provide long-term housing to the people who have been housed in emergency accommodation during lockdown. In this press release the government says that nearly 15,000 people have been provided with accommodation during the crisis. 

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “The effort from national government, local authorities and charities to protect people who are homeless in the pandemic has been staggering. That around 15,000 people have been accommodated to-date is a momentous achievement - but it also lays bare the true scale of the issue and the response required to ensure we don’t see a surge in homelessness once these emergency measures are eased. 

“For all of these 15,000 people the answer is a safe, permanent home. As part of this response, we need to see increased supply of social housing and support to help improve the security and affordability of private renting, including maintaining investment in housing benefit. In addition to this, we need to see national government lead on a strategy for the nationwide roll out of Housing First for those who need it.”