Local government and housing groups are calling for extra support to address significant homelessness and housing pressures in the East of England.
The East of England All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) and Eastlight Community Homes have published a paper outlining the short-term pressures facing the region’s housing sector.
Launched at the East of England APPG’s meeting in Westminster on 18 March, attendees, including the Minister for Housing Lee Rowley MP, heard the group’s concerns of the region.
Among these concerns is the impact the housing crisis, triggered in part by the undersupply of homes, is having on residents, councils and society overall. It notes the significant reduction in available social housing, combined with the increase in population and demand, has led to increased homelessness and individuals moved to insecure accommodation.
The paper also warns of the financial cost, with the East of England’s spending on temporary accommodation quadrupling from £15.4m in 2011 to £64.4m in 2023.
Cllr Jacqui Taylor, the chair of EELGA’s Improving Outcomes for People and Communities Panel, said: “The lack of suitable and genuinely affordable housing in the East of England is causing considerable harm.
“Families are living in overcrowded temporary accommodation outside their communities, sometimes in hotels or bed-and-breakfast style accommodation.
“This situation can be more acute for those with disabilities, with a lack of adapted accommodation available, and for those who are already in vulnerable situations.
“We urge the Government to act now before the situation gets even worse.”
Focussed tightly on the immediate issues being felt across the region, the report makes three recommendations.
It asks Government to reset the temporary accommodation subsidy rate paid to local authorities, which has been frozen at 90% of 2011 levels for 13 full years, and increase it in line with 90% of 2024 Local Housing Allowance rates. This would allow local authorities to claim back more costs and provide a vital fiscal lifeline to help them manage the rise in temporary accommodation costs.
The report requests housing authorities be allowed to levy a 2% council tax precept earmarked for housing, in the same way that upper-tier authorities can levy a precept for adult social care. Finally, it asks that the Government reform its fiscal rules to incentivise long-term investment in social housing.
By meeting these recommendations, the groups say it will help provide better support for homeless households, financial stability to local authorities, and prevent future accommodation pressures in the region.
You can view the paper herehttps://www.eelga.gov.uk/app/uploads/2024/03/new-Amended-EELGA-Housing-Leaflet-2.pdf.
