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Kent-based homelessness charity Porchlight has expressed its concern over figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions showing the availability of private-rented accommodation in the county will reduce by an average of almost 20% over the next year.
The government announced changes to the Local Housing Allowance in the Emergency Budget last year stating that the measures will “…provide a fairer and more sustainable Housing Benefit scheme.” Chief Executive of Porchlight, Mike Barrett says that the opposite is a more accurate description: “The problem the changes create is two-fold. On the one-hand there will be reduced housing stock for us to move our clients into and the other hand there is an increased demand for our services. This creates a bottle neck in the system where we can’t move people on who are ready to live independently in order to free up services for those who desperately need help.”
The impact report also shows that 50% of people in receipt of Housing Benefit in the South East will be worse-off or “losers” under the new proposals.
Mr Barrett suggests this double blow could be the trigger for a sharp rise in homelessness in the county, particularly in rural areas: “We are already seeing increased demand for our service across the county. Such a major reduction in benefits will hit those already vulnerable to homelessness hard. With the addition of blows to the fragile economy such as the closure of Pfizer we have the ingredients for the perfect storm.”
The charity’s concerns are supported by figures released by the National Housing Federation which show a 25% increase in the last year of people accepted as homeless in rural areas nationwide. This is compared to an 11% increase for urban areas. The federation itself has warned that the problem could get even worse as the supply of affordable homes fails to keep up with huge waiting lists in rural areas.
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DWP source “Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12” (opens in new window)
National Housing Federation source (opens in new window)
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