Homelessness and people in temporary accommodation still an issue

The figures released by Shelter were sourced from government statistics, freedom of information requests (FOI) and data from the membership charity Homeless Link to calculate how many people across England were without a home.

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About 258 homeless people were in temporary accommodation and 11 were estimated to be sleeping rough and 76 people were considered ‘homeless at home’ meaning they were staying with friends or family but still legally homeless.

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Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said: “A cold doorway or a grotty hostel room is not a home, but this is a reality for too many people today.

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“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 normal family life while stuck in an emergency B&B, to the person terrified of another night sleeping rough.

“With private rents and living costs continuing to soar, thousands of people are not just facing a winter of worry, they are at risk of losing the roof over their head.”

The figures provided do not include those in overcrowded houses or who are sofa surfing and Shelter is concerned there may be a rise in homelessness in 2023.

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When temperatures fall below zero degrees for three consecutive nights, temporary accommodation is offered to all rough sleepers across Wiltshire however, not everyone takes up an offer of accommodation.

Cabinet member for housing, Cllr Phil Alford, said: “We have around 13-15 rough sleepers on the streets in Wiltshire per night, with an average of 5-6 new rough sleepers each month.

“Unfortunately, there is a myriad of reasons why people become rough sleepers and our rough sleepers team goes out on the streets to work with them to find the best solution and a safe place to stay.

“Teams work with the homeless and rough sleepers 365 days a year to provide support and accommodation.  If people, see someone on the streets they can contact Streetlink which connects rough sleepers with local services that can support them.”

Cllr Alford added: “There are currently 86 households in temporary accommodation, and we are unfortunately seeing an increasing number of larger families, with multiple children, who are at risk of homelessness. Our teams are on hand to provide advice and support. If we cannot prevent a household with children from becoming homeless, we will work with them to find suitable temporary accommodation.”

Although there has been a slight reduction in the number of people in temporary accommodation in comparison to the year before, Shelter state that the use of temporary accommodation rose by 74 per cent in the last decade.