Hundreds saved from homelessness

More than 150 Maidstone families required council support for homelessness in the run up to last Christmas, new figures reveal.

Housing charity Shelter has warned councils are struggling to cope with the volume of people needing support amid a national “housing emergency”. Following the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2017, councils in England must provide support to eligible homeless households, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless in the next 56 days.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data shows there were 179 households due support after applying for help from Maidstone Borough Council between October and December, including 63 families with children.

Of these, 92, or 51%, were at risk of homelessness, meaning the council had to work with them to prevent them losing their home. The remaining 87 were already homeless, in which case the council has to help them secure accommodation for a period of at least six months.

Across England, more than 61,000 households were owed a duty under the act over the three months to December – more than 20,000 of them families with children.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said the figures painted a bleak picture of the housing landscape in England.

“Beyond those sleeping rough on our streets, tens of thousands of homeless families are living in temporary accommodation, including emergency B&Bs and hostels.

“Our advisers see the unbearable anguish of parents who can’t tell their children when they’ll have a place to call home.” Almost one in six homeless or at risk households in Maidstone lost their last secure home because their assured shorthold tenancy – the most common type of private rental contract – ended. There were also 22 households made homeless because their social tenancy came to an end.