Commenting on the release of the Welsh Conservatives’ General Election manifesto, Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, said:

“We’re very pleased that the Welsh Conservatives’ General Election manifesto adopts the party’s Welsh Assembly homelessness strategy pledges to build many more social homes, to set a target to end rough sleeping across Wales, and to make housing a basic human right in law. It’s very troubling, however, that there are no commitments to make sure housing benefit covers the cost of renting across Great Britain.

“Thousands of people across England, Scotland and Wales are currently at risk of losing their home, locked in a struggle to pay rent on top of trying to meet costs for food and bills. Recent polling reveals over three-quarters of the Welsh public agree that increasing housing benefit so people do not lose their homes in the first place is better than spending on emergency accommodation. The next UK Government cannot ignore the widespread public desire for change and must do all it can to help end homelessness by ensuring housing benefit covers the cost of rent.”

 

Notes

1. Cover the Cost: How the gaps in Local Housing Allowance are impacting homelessness (May 2019)
2. Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation commissioned Public First to conduct a poll of 4,010 adults (aged 18+) in the UK. Fieldwork was undertaken 6-10 September 2019, online.  For a full breakdown of the data visit the Public First website. The figure of respondents quoted in this release strongly agreed, moderately agreed and agreed a little with the given statement: 'Increasing housing benefit is a better way of tackling homelessness than paying for emergency accommodation'.