371 people are thought to be homeless in the borough
AT least 1,401 people were homeless in Leicestershire on any given night last year according to the charity Shelter - which now warns it is “bracing” for a spike in homelessness in 2023.
That is the equivalent of one homeless person for every 770 people living in our area.
Almost a third of those without a home (32%, or 449) were children, Shelter estimates.
In Charnwood, the estimated total number of homeless people is 371.
Of the total number of people Shelter says were homeless in Leicestershire, 13 were sleeping rough, and 1,388 - mainly families - were living in temporary accommodation.
Charnwood had the highest rate of homelessness in our area, with around one in 496 people living in a hostel, temporary accommodation, or on the streets. People were least likely to be homeless in Harborough, where one in 4,648 people did not have a home.
Nationally, Shelter’s research shows that at least 271,000 people are recorded as homeless in England, including 123,000 children. That equates to a national rate of one in 208 people.
London had the highest rate - with around one in 58 people homeless - while people were least likely to be homeless in the North East, which had a rate of one in 2,118 people.
Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said: “The new year should be a time of hope, but this isn’t the case for the 271,000 homeless people who are facing a truly bleak 2023.
“A cold doorway or a grotty hostel room is not a home, but this is reality for too many people today.
“Our frontline advisers are working tirelessly to help people who are desperate to escape homelessness - from the parents doing all they can to provide some shred of a normal family life while stuck in an emergency B&B, to the person terrified of another night sleeping rough.
“With rents and living costs continuing to soar, thousands are at risk of losing the roof over their head.
“At Shelter, we are bracing ourselves for a sharp rise in homelessness in 2023. More than ever, we will be relying on the public’s generosity to help us support and campaign for all those fighting for a safe home.”
Shelter’s homelessness estimates have been reached using Government statistics, Freedom of Information requests, and data from the membership charity Homeless Link.
They cover people in temporary accommodation, hostels, and those on the streets. They do not include the various forms of hidden or unofficial homelessness, such as sofa surfing or overcrowded homes.
Consequently, they are likely to underestimate the true scale of homelessness in the country, Shelter said.
The total is slightly down (1%) from the previous year, when 274,000 were estimated to be homeless on any given night in 2021.
This is driven by a 2% fall in the number of people living in temporary accommodation, after a peak in early 2020, when the Government rolled out the Everyone In scheme during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the slight annual dip, over the last decade, use of temporary accommodation has risen by an “alarming” 74%, Shelter said.
The charity said this was down to a “chronic shortage” of social homes.
A government spokesperson said: “Councils have a duty to ensure no family is left without a roof over their heads. That is why we’ve given them £366 million this year to help prevent evictions, support to pay deposits and provide temporary housing.
“Temporary accommodation is always a last resort. Over half a million households have been prevented from becoming homeless since 2018 through the Homelessness Reduction Act.
“We are also providing significant support to help people through these tough times by holding down energy bills and delivering up to £1,350 in direct cash payments to millions of vulnerable households.”