Earlier this week we made a post about Lambeth council and their urgent call to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to adjust her first budget. This appeal was made because there is an increased demand for temporary accommodation in the borough and sourcing it has become very expensive. To find more we recommend reading this article by Brixton Buzz.
This is only one part of the wider issue, however. In this article we will discuss the importance of temporary accommodation, and the challenges Local Authorities are dealing with.
What is temporary accommodation?
Temporary accommodation (TA) is accommodation given by the Local Authority to a person or family who is considered to have priority needs, such as high medical needs or young children.
Important recent TA statistics:
On September 19th, 2024, The Centre for Homelessness Impact released a publication called: Temporary Accommodation in England: is it Value for Money? This report explored many aspects of TA including how many people are in TA, how much it costs Local Authorities, and how people in TA feel about their situation.
In March 2024…
- There were 117,450 households in TA in the UK. This a rise from 48,010 in December 2010 (a 120% increase).
- Of these households, 151,630 were children. This is a rise from 2,310 in December 2010 (a 668% increase).
- 55.6% of households in TA were placed there by London Boroughs, who are only responsible for 16% of the UK’s population.
- A total of £229 billion was spent by the local authorities on TA in 2023-24.
How much does Temporary Accommodation cost for local authorities?
Graph courtesy of Wilkins, Matthew, Tim Gray, Heather McCluskey, Neil Reeder, and Niamh Flannigan. 2024. Temporary Accommodation England: Is It Value for Money? London: Centre for Homelessness Impact.
As seen in the graph above, net costs for TA are higher outside of London compared to inside, despite TA in London generally being more expensive to secure. To give you an idea, the cost of TA outside of London is £200 per household compared to £170 inside. One reason for this could be that obtaining temporary accommodation in London is more common, and as a result local authorities have more experience and familiarity with the process, compared to other parts of the country.
Is Temporary Accommodation a good thing?
It should be noted that people struggling with homelessness are fully entitled to apply for accommodation from the Local Authority. TA prevents a lot of people who would otherwise be street homeless (or sofa surfing) an opportunity to reside in accommodation whilst they look for long-term housing. For example, there are cases when an individual or family may be placed in TA on a short-term basis whilst their case is being assessed further by local authorities. In March 2024, 33,000 of the 117,000 people were placed there to be assessed. At the end of the assessment period, they can be found to be “not in priority need” and have the accommodation withdrawn. In this situation many do find themselves street homeless or reliant on family or friends for help.
Overall, the system is flawed in multiple places. For example, gatekeeping is still a major issue. Gatekeeping is the term used for when a Local Authority makes accessing housing support extremely difficult for some of those who need to access it. Everyone has the right to ask a Local Authority for advice on housing but how to access advice differs between Local Authorities. There are many instances where people are unable to access support and become street homeless. As a service we have seen multiple instances when applications to Local Authorities for support, have been needlessly delayed or ignored.
Graph courtesy of Wilkins, Matthew, Tim Gray, Heather McCluskey, Neil Reeder, and Niamh Flannigan. 2024. Temporary Accommodation England: Is It Value for Money? London: Centre for Homelessness Impact.
The rise of demand for temporary accommodation and the impact it has on support workers:
Because of the continued need for TA, and the lack of time and resources available, local authorities have looked towards bed and breakfast and hotels as a solution. This solution is only temporary however, and there are reports of local authorities being more restricted in their ability to use these options in the future.
The increase in demand for TA has put even more pressure on frontline homeless staff, which has led to more absences and sickness. As well as this there have been issues with recruitment meaning that the number of staff available to help is very low.
National government and their stance on temporary accommodation:
There is no established national strategy for TA. Despite being very important for the thousands struggling with homelessness across the country, the government has no dedicated system in place for TA, which is concerning.
How the sector is coping with supporting more people with complex needs:
It has been recognised that the support needs of people struggling with homelessness are more varied and complicated compared to previously. These higher levels of support needs have resulted in more time, staffing, and resources needed for local authorities to support them. In the last decade many statutory and third sector services, that specialised in providing this support, have had their funding cut to an extent that they are not able to support all of those that need their help.
The sector is awaiting the upcoming budget to see what is going to happen to homeless services across the UK. We are a sector teetering on the edge of breaking point already, so any reduction in funding could see more people forced into street homelessness, and less help for those able to access housing and TA.
Primary source: Wilkins, Matthew, Tim Gray, Heather McCluskey, Neil Reeder, and Niamh Flannigan. 2024. Temporary Accommodation England: Is It Value for Money? London: Centre for Homelessness Impact. Available to read here.