MINISTERS CLAIMS OF FALLING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CAPITAL MISLEADS LONDONERS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 13th Jun 2005

The London Assembly Liberal Democrats today accused Ministers of misleading Londoners of the true extent of the homelessness crisis that is affecting London.

Figures put forward by Government Ministers today showed that the number of new people that had become homeless in the capital had dropped by 18% in a year. However, official figures from Ken Livingstone show that the number of homeless households in London has increased from 64,969 in March 2003 to 67,770 in March 2004.

Liberal Democrats Housing Spokesperson, Dee Doocey, said:-

"It is scandalous that that Ministers decide to celebrate the number of people signing up to homeless has dropped while ignoring the fact that the number of homeless households in the capital continues to rise.

"Even these figures are only the tip of the homelessness iceberg. They ignore single adults or the so-called 'hidden homeless' who have no certainty about where they will sleep."

"The huge increase in homelessness leads to long term social problems including poor health and loss of education. If we can put a man on the moon then why are ministers unable to bring the 100,000 empty homes in London back into use for those who need them most?

"Ministers must not lose sight of the fact that being homelessness is more than being roofless. The number of people in temporary accommodation has risen to intolerable levels and it is now time that the government addressed this trend with as much vigour as it tackled the rough sleeper problem."

ENDS

The Ministerial claims can be found in their News Release (ODPM/LON/0206)

The figures are taken from Mayoral Answer 754 / 2005

Dee Doocey

The GLA's latest homelessness bulletin (Nov/Dec 2004) reveals that the number of homeless households across London is over 67,000. Please can you break this number down on a Borough by Borough basis and provide the same figures for the Nov/Dec for the last four years.

Borough Dec '00 Dec '04 2000 - 2004 % change

Havering 147 809 450%

Bexley 179 429 140%

Barking 258 607 135%

Bromley 555 1,183 113%

Waltham Forest 834 1,773 113%

Newham 3,029 5,801 91.5%

Redbridge 1,230 2,333 89.7%

Wandsworth 893 1,681 88.2%

Tower Hamlets 1,650 3,012 82.5%

Lewisham 1,389 2,456 76.8%

Lambeth 1,735 2,904 67.4%

Hammersmith 1,289 1,921 49%

Kingston 518 768 48.3%

Greenwich 812 1,168 43.8%

Westminster 2,514 3,536 40.7%

Enfield 2,261 3,179 40.6%

Kensington 861 1,148 33.3%

Camden 1,851 2,447 32.2%

Brent 3,632 4,550 25.3%

Croydon 2,950 3,668 24.3%

Hounslow 1,132 1,397 23.4%

Ealing 2,141 2,544 18.8%

Barnet 2,222 2,579 16.1%

Haringey 4,496 5,214 16%

Islington 1,400 1,531 9.4%

Sutton 593 642 8.3%

Hillingdon 1,755 1,861 6%

Richmond 508 530 4.3%

Hackney 2,497 2,468 -0.1%

Merton 192 182 -5.2%

Southwark 1,522 1,293 -15%

Harrow 1,771 1,328 -25%

Corporation 51 35 -31.4%

Total 48,867 66,977 37.1%

Homeless households are, people with dependent children; women who are pregnant or single people who are vulnerable, in that they cannot fend for themselves, who are in temp accommodation waiting for a council/housing association to provide them with permanent homes.

Not included - single people, rough sleepers, sofa surfers.