Sharp rise in number of homeless families

Government figures released today show a sharp increase in the number of homeless families over the past year.

In 2012, 34,080 households with children were accepted as homeless, an increase of 12% on the previous year.

At the end of 2012, 76,790 children were living in temporary accommodation, an annual increase of 11%.

Currently every fifteen minutes another family find themselves homeless.

The figures also show an increase in the number of families living in B&Bs, up 29% since the same time last year.

Shelter’s Chief Executive Campbell Robb said: 'This is yet more proof of how families across the country are being pushed to breaking point.



'The crippling cost of housing, combined with rising prices, flatlining wages and cuts to housing support, is meaning many families are simply no longer able to hold on to the roof over their heads.



'We are extremely worried that people already feeling the squeeze because of the recession and benefit reductions will increasingly struggle as further cuts to the housing safety net come in this April.

'We are already seeing increased demand for our services at a time when there is less money available to us to help people in need. It is only too clear that times are tight, but now more than ever we need people’s support to prevent more families from losing their homes.'



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