Hackney among ten worst boroughs for homelessness, new report shows

Shocking: the report found that one in 200 people in the UK are homeless. Photograph: Allan Warren

Hackney is one of the ten worst areas in the UK for homelessness, according to a new report by national charity Shelter.

The figures show one in 44 people in the borough are homeless, totalling 6,167.

Shelter used official government statistics and Freedom of Information requests to compile the report, Far from alone: Homelessness in Britain in 2017, which shows the number of people recorded as sleeping rough or in temporary accommodation.

According to the findings, Hackney has the tenth highest number in the country.

Newham, which has 13,607 – or one in 25 – homeless people, topped the list.

The report found that one in every 200 people in the UK are homeless.

Shelter London Hub manager Connie Cullen said: “It’s shocking to think that today, more than 164,000 people in London are waking up homeless.

“Some will have spent the night shivering on a cold pavement, others crammed into a dingy, hostel room with their children. And what is worse, many are simply unaccounted for.

“On a daily basis, we speak to people and families who are desperately trying to escape the devastating trap of homelessness. A trap that is tightening thanks to decades of failure to build enough affordable homes and the impact of welfare cuts.

“As this crisis continues to unfold, the work of our frontline advisers remains absolutely critical. We will do all we can to make sure no-one is left to fight homelessness on their own. But we cannot achieve this alone; we urgently need the public’s support to be there for everyone who needs us right now.”

Hackney’s cabinet member for housing needs, Cllr Rebecca Rennison, said: “With around 3,000 of the 13,000 households on our housing waiting list homeless families living in temporary accommodation, we’re all too aware of the housing crisis facing Hackney, and we strongly welcome Shelter shining a light on the full extent of these problems nationwide.

“In Hackney we are already doing what we can – bringing hundreds of empty homes back into use, delivering one of the biggest programmes of council house building in the country, and taking action to support the borough’s 32,000 private tenants through our #BetterRenting campaign.

“And we’ve expanded our support and advice services, working with the homelessness charity Thames Reach to open the Greenhouse – London’s first multi-purpose resource and advice centre for homeless people.

“But national problems need national solutions, and Shelter’s report makes clear how the government can begin to tackle the situation, starting now. We’d urge them to take notice.”

After the release of a different report on homelessness in September, London Assembly member Sian Berry said official figures are “just the tip of the iceberg”, adding: “The London Assembly Housing Committee investigation found a much wider problem of hidden homeless people in London who have no permanent home and live precariously.

“In fact, 13 times more Londoners are hidden and homeless than are visibly sleeping rough.

“Young people, asylum seekers and people escaping domestic violence can find it hard to get help due to gaps in current policies, and many don’t even try to seek help.

“So-called sofa-surfing is common and people can end up staying with virtual strangers where they are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.”

Shelter has launched an urgent appeal in response to the “mounting homelessness crisis”, calling on the public to support its frontline advisers.

To support Shelter’s urgent appeal, please visit www.shelter.org.uk or text SHELTER to 70080 to donate £3.

Update: this article was amended at 15:26 on Thursday 9 November 2017 to include a comment from Cllr Rebecca Rennison, Hackney Council’s cabinet member for housing needs.