Numbers forced out of communities in England and Wales are at highest level in 20 years

The number of homeless families forced to move away from their communities is at its highest for 20 years, as councils struggle to find accommodation for the growing numbers of people in need.

According to official government figures, there were 23,640 families in temporary accommodation outside their local area in the second quarter of this year, the highest level in 20 years and more than double that recorded over the same period just five years ago.

The new data has emerged amid rising anger over homelessness, with recent research showing that deaths among homeless people in England and Wales have increased by 24% in five years. Deaths have risen every year since 2013, from 475 in 2014 to 597 last year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Several factors are being blamed for the rise in homeless families being relocated. A freeze on benefits and a cap on payments have led to a rise in demand for temporary accommodation. Meanwhile, the stock of council-owned housing has been run down and rents are rising, making affordable private rented accommodation harder to find.

Melanie Onn, the shadow housing minister who uncovered the figures, said they revealed the “human cost of the housing crisis”.

“Eight years of Tory failure on housing means that more and more families are being forced to move away from their communities, schools and jobs,” she said. Labour blamed cuts to housing benefit and an 80% fall in the number of homes for social rent being built.

Greg Beales, director of campaigns at Shelter, said his charity had witnessed the damage caused “when homeless families are forced to uproot their lives and move miles away to temporary accommodation in another area, abandoning jobs, schools and support networks. To put an end to the devastating cycle of homelessness, the government needs to commit to a bold new vision for social housing.

“Only then will families have a fighting chance of a safe and secure home in their local area.”

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said the number of families being asked to relocate had become unacceptable: “As local councils struggle to find housing for people, the only option for many is to rent privately, but with renting costs now sky high and housing benefit falling short of rents, this is not a viable option for most,” he said.

“As a result many have no option but to leave any semblance of community and support behind, often moving to areas where they have no connections, leaving them trapped in a cycle of desperation.

“The government’s decision to start reinvesting in social housing is welcome, but it doesn’t go far enough. ”

Martin Tett, housing spokesman at the Local Government Association, said: “The increasing use of temporary accommodation is not only financially unsustainable for councils but is hugely disruptive for those families placed in such accommodation.

“Every instance of homelessness is an individual tragedy and councils are determined to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place and support families affected.

“Councils need to keep 100% of the receipts from any homes they sell to replace them and reinvest in building more of the genuinely affordable homes they desperately need, and the ability to adapt welfare reforms to prevent people from losing their home where possible.”

The minister for housing and homelessness, Heather Wheeler, said: “Having somewhere to stay and a place to call home is vital in helping those who are homeless rebuild their lives, and we are investing £1.2bn to help make this a reality.

“Where councils cannot house someone in their area, they should place people in a property as close as possible to their original local authority, and we have recently strengthened our guidance to councils making this crystal clear.

“The reforms we have introduced under the Homelessness Reduction Act requires local authorities to act earlier and for a broader range of people which means more people are getting the help they need before they face a homelessness crisis.

“And we are investing £9bn to deliver more affordable homes and freeing councils up to build a new generation of council housing.”