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According to the charity 'Crisis', there are 400,000 'hidden homeless' in Britain, living in hostels or staying with friends.
Now that new legislation puts greater requirement on local authorities to tackle homelessness, it is essential that more emergency accommodation becomes available at a local level. In 1997 a Housing Needs survey in South Lakeland showed a need for 1360 additional units of affordable housing from 1997 to 2002. However 215 units were supplied and 544 lost through the 'Right to Buy'. (From the South Lakeland District Council's Housing Strategy Document for 2002-2006).
Hilary Armstrong MP, Minister of Housing speaking to a conference in February 1999, said: "There is clear evidence in some areas that private rented property is in a disgraceful state and, despite receiving housing benefit, they (the landlords), continue to allow properties to exist in sub-standard conditions."
Nick Raynsford MP, Minister of Housing speaking at a conference in May 1999, said, "Far too many people have to live in conditions that are frankly squalid, unsafe and bluntly a disgrace in any civilised society. We must tackle these potential death-traps."
Manna House regularly sees clients who live in conditions that adversely affect their health and well being.
Assured shorthold tenants have only six months security of tenure; tenants of resident landlords have none. This is an insecure way to live. Often tenants are afraid to ask for repairs or maintenance to be undertaken for fear of losing their tenancy, so they put up with substandard living conditions.
Over 1.5 million people live in 543,000 private rented homes that are subdivided into flats and bed sits. Often tenants share facilities.
The SHELTER organisation has found that tenants in bedsit houses are six times more likely to die from fire than those in single household properties. Tenants living in bedsit houses more than three stories high are seventeen times more likely to be killed in a fire than those living in single family houses.
During 2000, 184,290 households were found to be homeless by local authorities in England. Shelter estimates this represents around 440,000 people. Statistics are only kept on those who have applied for help and also exclude the majority of single homeless. During 2001 about 22,400 single homeless people asked Shelter for help. This is just ONE organisation's figures. Numbers are rising as house prices escalate.
Many single homeless have no other choice but to sleep on the streets. Despite the Government's estimate of 500-600 rough sleepers the figure is probably much greater as most folk forced to sleep outside will keep themselves well hidden, and will certainly not be found in the lighted areas where the survey was mainly taken. The latest figures for 2002/2003 from Cumbria show that homelessness is on the increase and the numbers logged as homeless was up by 36%. There will be many more outside that official count who never approach a local housing authority.
According to research, homeless children are twice as likely to be admitted to hospital than children in settled housing. Damp, mouldy living conditions are common to temporary accommodation and linked to respiratory diseases, asthma and allergies in children. Low incomes and limited cooking facilities lead to poor diets. Temporary accommodation also affects children's mental health, due to insecurity and lack of privacy. Bed wetting and disturbed sleep patterns are common for such children. Evidence shows that homeless children suffer educationally, either from frequent change of schools or lack of space and privacy to study and do their homework.
The uncertainty of temporary accommodation makes it difficult for parents to plan for their children's education. How can they decide at which school to register their child when they do not know when they will be moved on or where they will be moved to? Likewise, it is often very difficult for the homeless to register with a doctor.
Being poor means being an illness, an accident or a pay-cheque away from living on the streets. (National Coalition for the Homeless)
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