Latest news with #LondonCouncils
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The far-flung corners of England where London is quietly dumping its council tenants
London is quietly sending its homeless to unsuspecting communities hundreds of miles away from the capital, The Telegraph can reveal. Data obtained by this newspaper reveals thousands of homeless people have been relocated out of London since 2019 as waiting lists for social housing in the city spiral. Residents of one region that has received dozens of new households from the capital said their community had changed 'massively' and they feared drug use and other crimes had increased as a result. In the past five years nearly 15,000 social housing applicants in London have been placed outside the city, according to surveys conducted by London Councils, which represents the 32 London boroughs as well as the City of London. The figures were labelled a 'shameful indictment' on London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, during whose tenure the city has repeatedly failed to meet its housebuilding targets. It comes as approximately one in 50 Londoners is technically homeless and living in temporary accommodation, presenting a growing problem for the capital's boroughs, which have a legal obligation to provide adequate housing to those in need. Kevin Hollinrake MP, the shadow housing secretary, said: 'This is a shameful indictment of the London Mayor's utter failure to get a grip on housing in the capital. 'Families are being shipped hundreds of miles away from their communities because Sadiq Khan hasn't delivered the affordable homes Londoners were promised. If Labour are serious about fixing this crisis, Angela Rayner must stop sitting on her hands and take immediate action.' He added: 'The current system is not just broken, it's punishing the most vulnerable while spreading the consequences of failure to communities across the country.' A growing number of people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation have been moved by London's boroughs out of the capital to other parts of England in recent years. The latest available figures recorded by London Councils, based on regular surveys of London's 32 boroughs, reveal 14,983 households were relocated by the local authorities using so-called 'out-of-London placements' between 2019 and 2025. The map below shows the destination counties. London boroughs relocated 2,647 households outside the capital between 2019 and 2020. This compares with 4,273 between 2022 and 2023, the most recent full year for which figures have been recorded. It represents an increase of 61pc in that time. In 2024 to 2025, councils moved 1,453 households out of London, though the lobby group stressed data for that period was incomplete and the final figure would be far higher. The majority of placements made by boroughs were either within the capital or to the neighbouring Home Counties. Placements outside of London can be on a temporary or permanent basis while homeless households await long-term housing. The data shows nearly all regions that received homeless placements from London since 2019 have seen an increase in the number of arrivals. It is understood that many of the households recorded are families rather than individuals. It means the true figure for the number of people moved out of London by councils is likely to be far higher. Kent received by far the most placements for homeless households of any region outside London, with 5,010 arrivals from the city since 2019. This was followed by Essex, which received 3,030 placements over the same period. Hertfordshire received 1,673 households, after which Berkshire received 1,191. Councils in Surrey were sent 1,148 placements, while Buckinghamshire was sent 1,066 placements since 2019. The furthest placements from London were made to County Durham, which has received 44 homeless households from the capital since 2019. The council said it had also been sent placements from other councils in the south-east of England, though it did not say how many. A spokesman for Durham County council said: 'We are aware that some councils in the South East and London have placed families in County Durham as part of discharging their housing duties. This is often because housing is more affordable in the region than it is in London. 'While we recognise it is legal for local authorities to do this, we have made representations to London borough councils as we feel it is not in anyone's best interest to be moved almost 300 miles from the area you know and your support network.' He added: 'More often than not, because the families are offered long-term settled accommodation as part of the move, they are not routinely known to us. As a consequence, we are unable to comment on individual circumstances. Where someone does approach us for help and support, they will be offered assistance in accordance with our statutory obligations and policies.' Average rents in London are currently £2,235 per month compared to £594 per month in County Durham, according to the Office for National Statistics. The data do not record which London boroughs made the placements but figures previously reported by The Telegraph show Newham sent 4,022 people into housing outside its borough in 2023 – up from 2,327 in 2022, a 73pc increase. The council defended the placements at the time as necessary as part of its efforts to 'face up to an acute lack of housing availability.' Other councils in the capital are known to have adopted similar strategies for managing those requiring accommodation. The London borough of Redbridge controversially won the lease for a Howe Barracks, a neighbourhood of ex-military houses in Canterbury, in 2016 and began sending tenants 60 miles away to East Kent. Placements outside of London are usually made by local authorities as a last resort in order to meet legal requirements to take reasonable steps in securing accommodation for anyone at risk of being homeless. If councils are unable to resolve the homelessness of priority groups, for example families with children or vulnerable adults, by placing them in available social housing they must provide interim accommodation while searching for a permanent solution. Many of those moved out of London by councils are being provided with temporary accommodation and may remain on a waiting list for permanent housing, or decide to relocate for good outside the city. Antonia Jennings, chief executive of think tank Centre for London, said the city's housing crisis is 'not just a London issue – it has nationwide effects'. Last year, the social housing waiting list in London for a family-sized home stands at six years and three months, according to the group's analysis. There are 336,000 households currently awaiting social housing in the city, more than the population of Leeds. Ms Jennings said: 'It becomes inevitable that housing pressures are displaced to areas outside the London boundary. 'Boroughs outside the capital struggle to accommodate the increasing demands on their housing departments. Meanwhile, London's temporary accommodation crisis continues to grow, stretching the London borough's purse strings. 'This in turn prevents investment in building new social homes in the capital. More households are pushed outside the M25, and boroughs further afield struggle with the new pressures. It's a vicious cycle.' London has repeatedly failed to build the recommended amount of 52,000 new houses a year since Sir Sadiq became mayor. In the three years to the end of last year, London averaged 38,000 new homes a year, 15,000 fewer than planned. The mayor's affordable housing targets were slashed recently after London registered the second lowest amount of new affordable homes since records began in 2013. Construction was started on 3,991 properties, partly paid for by the mayor, between 2024 and 2025, the lowest in over a decade despite being a small increase of 1,633 on the year before. A London Councils spokesman said: 'London is grappling with the most extreme housing and homelessness pressures in the country. The capital accounts for over half of all homeless households in England and we estimate one in 50 Londoners live in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough. 'Out-of-London placements are only made as a last resort when no suitable local options are available or to support homeless families when they prefer to relocate. As our figures show, the vast majority of placements are within London and most out-of-London placements are to areas bordering the capital. Only a very small number are further afield. 'Boroughs are aware that London's homelessness crisis is having an impact beyond London's boundaries. For example, we have met with Durham County council to discuss the issues they are experiencing. 'Given the scale of homelessness in London and the chronic shortage of affordable housing, reducing these placements and ultimately ending homelessness relies on government action. This is a national emergency requiring a national response.' A government spokesman said: 'Out-of-area placements highlight the serious housing crisis we have inherited, with simply not enough homes in the places they are needed, but we would urge councils to avoid this practice wherever possible and to look for local alternatives.' A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said: 'The Mayor has made tackling the housing crisis a top priority. Since he was elected, more homes have been completed in London than at any time since the 1930s, and more new council homes have been started than at any time since the 1970s. 'But we have been rowing against the tide of the disastrous legacy of the last government: high interest rates, the impact of Brexit, spiralling construction costs, and a lack of funding for affordable housing. The Mayor is committed to working hand-in-hand with the Government to urgently deliver the affordable and social homes Londoners desperately need, as we continue building a better and fairer London for everyone.' 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Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The far-flung corners of England where London is quietly dumping its council tenants
London is quietly sending its homeless to unsuspecting communities hundreds of miles away from the capital, The Telegraph can reveal. Data obtained by this newspaper reveals thousands of homeless people have been relocated out of London since 2019 as waiting lists for social housing in the city spiral. Residents of one region that has received dozens of new households from the capital said their community had changed 'massively' and they feared drug use and other crimes had increased as a result. In the past five years nearly 15,000 social housing applicants in London have been placed outside the city, according to surveys conducted by London Councils, which represents the 32 London boroughs as well as the City of London. The figures were labelled a 'shameful indictment' on London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, during whose tenure the city has repeatedly failed to meet its housebuilding targets. It comes as approximately one in 50 Londoners is technically homeless and living in temporary accommodation, presenting a growing problem for the capital's boroughs, which have a legal obligation to provide adequate housing to those in need. Kevin Hollinrake MP, the shadow housing secretary, said: 'This is a shameful indictment of the London Mayor's utter failure to get a grip on housing in the capital. 'Families are being shipped hundreds of miles away from their communities because Sadiq Khan hasn't delivered the affordable homes Londoners were promised. If Labour are serious about fixing this crisis, Angela Rayner must stop sitting on her hands and take immediate action.' He added: 'The current system is not just broken, it's punishing the most vulnerable while spreading the consequences of failure to communities across the country.' A growing number of people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation have been moved by London's boroughs out of the capital to other parts of England in recent years. The latest available figures recorded by London Councils, based on regular surveys of London's 32 boroughs, reveal 14,983 households were relocated by the local authorities using so-called 'out-of-London placements' between 2019 and 2025. The map below shows the destination counties. London boroughs relocated 2,647 households outside the capital between 2019 and 2020. This compares with 4,273 between 2022 and 2023, the most recent full year for which figures have been recorded. It represents an increase of 61pc in that time. In 2024 to 2025, councils moved 1,453 households out of London, though the lobby group stressed data for that period was incomplete and the final figure would be far higher. The majority of placements made by boroughs were either within the capital or to the neighbouring Home Counties. Placements outside of London can be on a temporary or permanent basis while homeless households await long-term housing. The data shows nearly all regions that received homeless placements from London since 2019 have seen an increase in the number of arrivals. It is understood that many of the households recorded are families rather than individuals. It means the true figure for the number of people moved out of London by councils is likely to be far higher. Kent received by far the most placements for homeless households of any region outside London, with 5,010 arrivals from the city since 2019. This was followed by Essex, which received 3,030 placements over the same period. Hertfordshire received 1,673 households, after which Berkshire received 1,191. Councils in Surrey were sent 1,148 placements, while Buckinghamshire was sent 1,066 placements since 2019. The furthest placements from London were made to County Durham, which has received 44 homeless households from the capital since 2019. The council said it had also been sent placements from other councils in the south-east of England, though it did not say how many. A spokesman for Durham County council said: 'We are aware that some councils in the South East and London have placed families in County Durham as part of discharging their housing duties. This is often because housing is more affordable in the region than it is in London. 'While we recognise it is legal for local authorities to do this, we have made representations to London borough councils as we feel it is not in anyone's best interest to be moved almost 300 miles from the area you know and your support network.' He added: 'More often than not, because the families are offered long-term settled accommodation as part of the move, they are not routinely known to us. As a consequence, we are unable to comment on individual circumstances. Where someone does approach us for help and support, they will be offered assistance in accordance with our statutory obligations and policies.' Average rents in London are currently £2,235 per month compared to £594 per month in County Durham, according to the Office for National Statistics. The data do not record which London boroughs made the placements but figures previously reported by The Telegraph show Newham sent 4,022 people into housing outside its borough in 2023 – up from 2,327 in 2022, a 73pc increase. The council defended the placements at the time as necessary as part of its efforts to 'face up to an acute lack of housing availability.' Other councils in the capital are known to have adopted similar strategies for managing those requiring accommodation. The London borough of Redbridge controversially won the lease for a Howe Barracks, a neighbourhood of ex-military houses in Canterbury, in 2016 and began sending tenants 60 miles away to East Kent. Placements outside of London are usually made by local authorities as a last resort in order to meet legal requirements to take reasonable steps in securing accommodation for anyone at risk of being homeless. If councils are unable to resolve the homelessness of priority groups, for example families with children or vulnerable adults, by placing them in available social housing they must provide interim accommodation while searching for a permanent solution. Many of those moved out of London by councils are being provided with temporary accommodation and may remain on a waiting list for permanent housing, or decide to relocate for good outside the city. Antonia Jennings, chief executive of think tank Centre for London, said the city's housing crisis is 'not just a London issue – it has nationwide effects'. Last year, the social housing waiting list in London for a family-sized home stands at six years and three months, according to the group's analysis. There are 336,000 households currently awaiting social housing in the city, more than the population of Leeds. Ms Jennings said: 'It becomes inevitable that housing pressures are displaced to areas outside the London boundary. 'Boroughs outside the capital struggle to accommodate the increasing demands on their housing departments. Meanwhile, London's temporary accommodation crisis continues to grow, stretching the London borough's purse strings. 'This in turn prevents investment in building new social homes in the capital. More households are pushed outside the M25, and boroughs further afield struggle with the new pressures. It's a vicious cycle.' London has repeatedly failed to build the recommended amount of 52,000 new houses a year since Sir Sadiq became mayor. In the three years to the end of last year, London averaged 38,000 new homes a year, 15,000 fewer than planned. The mayor's affordable housing targets were slashed recently after London registered the second lowest amount of new affordable homes since records began in 2013. Construction was started on 3,991 properties, partly paid for by the mayor, between 2024 and 2025, the lowest in over a decade despite being a small increase of 1,633 on the year before. A London Councils spokesman said: 'London is grappling with the most extreme housing and homelessness pressures in the country. The capital accounts for over half of all homeless households in England and we estimate one in 50 Londoners live in temporary accommodation arranged by their local borough. 'Out-of-London placements are only made as a last resort when no suitable local options are available or to support homeless families when they prefer to relocate. As our figures show, the vast majority of placements are within London and most out-of-London placements are to areas bordering the capital. Only a very small number are further afield. 'Boroughs are aware that London's homelessness crisis is having an impact beyond London's boundaries. For example, we have met with Durham County council to discuss the issues they are experiencing. 'Given the scale of homelessness in London and the chronic shortage of affordable housing, reducing these placements and ultimately ending homelessness relies on government action. This is a national emergency requiring a national response.' A government spokesman said: 'Out-of-area placements highlight the serious housing crisis we have inherited, with simply not enough homes in the places they are needed, but we would urge councils to avoid this practice wherever possible and to look for local alternatives.' A spokesman for Sir Sadiq said: 'The Mayor has made tackling the housing crisis a top priority. Since he was elected, more homes have been completed in London than at any time since the 1930s, and more new council homes have been started than at any time since the 1970s. 'But we have been rowing against the tide of the disastrous legacy of the last government: high interest rates, the impact of Brexit, spiralling construction costs, and a lack of funding for affordable housing. The Mayor is committed to working hand-in-hand with the Government to urgently deliver the affordable and social homes Londoners desperately need, as we continue building a better and fairer London for everyone.' 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Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
London's 'spiralling' housing crisis in numbers
London is Europe's wealthiest city, yet for many living in the capital, having a place to call home feels out of reach, according to the Centre for London (CfL). Earlier this week, the independent think tank hosted the London Housing Summit, highlighting the challenges of - and possible solutions to - the housing crisis, which it says is "spiralling out of control". Experts agree it is a complex issue, but what do figures show us about the scale of the problem? According to data collected by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), there was an 8% increase in rough sleeping in the capital on the same period in 2024. New rough sleepers account for almost half (47%) of the total number of those sleeping rough, intermittent rough sleepers account for 39% and 16% of the recorded number of rough sleepers were living on the streets. CHAIN's latest annual report for 2024/25 reveals rough sleeping in London has reached an "all time high". The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has committed to ending rough sleeping in London by 2030, and in January 2025 he announced an additional £10m investment in a bid to achieve this goal. The money will go towards expanding the network of its Ending Homelessness Hubs, which provide 24/7 specialist support for people new to rough sleeping and prevention services. Councils have legal duty to house local people who become homeless. Typically, they put people up in hotels or hostels until more permanent arrangements can be made. So, as homelessness has increased in recent years, so therefore has the financial burden on local authorities. The umbrella group representing London's boroughs has said the current spending on temporary accommodation is "unsustainable" and puts many councils at risk of becoming "effectively bankrupt", creating "massive uncertainty" to the future of local services. London Councils says boroughs overspent on the 2024/25 homelessness budget by £330m - with spending in this area increasing by 68% in a single year. According to its recent analysis, more than 183,000 Londoners are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation such as hostels arranged by their local boroughs. This includes 90,000 children, which equates to more than one per classroom, London Councils says. The human impact of these figures is something the Housing and Mental Health Network aims to highlight to policymakers. Speaking at the London Housing Summit, Dr Sally Zlotowitz, co-chair of the network, said it was a "growing concern" that people in temporary accommodation were "internalising an issue that is a structural crisis". London Councils' executive member for housing, Grace Williams, has labelled this an "emergency" that was "devastating the lives of too many Londoners". The organisation has called on the government to support councils by increasing funding for both short term temporary accommodation needs and longer-term solutions – like boosting grant funding for affordable housing. A government spokesperson said: "We inherited a serious housing crisis, which is why we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness, fix the foundations of local government and drive forward our Plan for Change. "We are providing £1bn for crucial homelessness services so councils can support families faster. This is an increase of £233m from 2024 - 25, and London Boroughs have had a funding uplift by more than £78m. "We are also tackling its root causes by building 1.5 million new homes, boosting social and affordable housing and abolishing section 21 no fault evictions." The private rental sector in London has shrunk, as landlords increasingly decide to sell their properties. According to analysis by Trust for London, 45,000 homes were lost from the sector in this way between April 2021-December 2023, equating to a net reduction of 4.3%. The charity also said the sector was shrinking at a much faster rate the most affordable areas to rent in, which it believed had a "particular impact" on the ability of low-income households to access private rented homes. The National Residential Landlords Association said "uncertainty over proposed tax and regulatory changes is leading many landlords to consider leaving the market". The association added that the demand for private rental homes continued to increase, which was driving up costs for renters as well as reducing choice. London's 2.7 million private tenants saw their rents rise by 11.5% in 2024, with the capital experiencing the largest increases in England, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Polling released this week by Centre for London revealed three in five London renters said rent was unaffordable to them personally. Both the need for homes - and the cost of building them - is greater in London than anywhere else in the country, Centre for London analysis has found. The upfront costs in London are 43 times higher than in the West Midlands and 36 times higher than in Greater Manchester. The think tank's research shows building the number of homes needed in the borough of Wandsworth, which has the highest upfront costs in England, will cost four times more than what it would cost to deliver the entire housing target for West Midlands. This comes as polling by the think-tank revealed 45% of Londoners questioned on what they think the biggest problems within London's housing market are, said it was that first-time buyers cannot afford a home. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "The mayor will continue to work in partnership with the government to deliver more genuinely affordable homes through the planning system and new investment so that we can tackle London's housing crisis and build a fairer London for everyone." Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has said there is "no time to waste" and that it's "crucial" to "get Britain building". While targets are in place for new homes – delegates at the London Housing Summit this week raised concerns about the existing housing stock in London. Centre for London's polling revealed a third of Londoners have experienced damp and mould and over a quarter were unable to keep their homes warm. Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa uses social media to campaign on issues related to damp and mould and told Eddie Nestor on BBC Radio London, the situation is "horrific", adding "there are times when I ask myself surely it cannot get worse than this?". During the mayoral election campaign of 2024, Sir Sadiq pledged his support for a rollout of high-tech mould sensors, which City Hall said would provide an "early warning system". Industry leaders have warned there is a 'dire shortage' of construction workers. The latest Office for National Statistics figures show that there are over 35,000 job vacancies and employers report that over half of vacancies cannot be filled due to a lack of required skills – the highest rate of any sector. The additional requirement of 160,000 construction workers applies specifically to meeting the need of Labour's housebuilding targets. Ahead of the government's pledge to build 1.5m new homes, the CITB had already estimated there would need to be a quarter of a million new construction workers to meet the country's housing demands. Before the 2025 spring statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £600m worth of investment to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers, and education secretary, Bridget Phillipson has committed to 'skills bootcamps' in the construction sector being expanded, with £100m to train, upskill and develop workers. So what's the plan for London? A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said Sir Sadiq Khan had made the capital's housing crisis a "a key priority for his mayoralty". In 2018, City Hall established the Mayor's Construction Academy (MCA), a scheme aimed at helping Londoners gain the skills needed to enter the construction industry. The mayor's office said it hoped the MCA would help address the need for more skilled construction workers in London. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to House building costs highest in London - report UK 'doesn't have enough builders' for Labour's 1.5m homes Mayor of London Centre for London London Councils
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour's lies about landlords will cost them
Sometimes I feel I live in a parallel universe. As a private landlord, I'm used to the goalposts being changed regularly. On the one hand, successive governments have made more and more changes to squeeze and stamp out the existence of landlords, and whip up a tirade of hate and blame. On the other, this week we hear how much Serco needs private landlords to house immigrants for the Home Office. You couldn't make it up. It's far from the only example of government behaviour being completely at odds with reality. Take the revelation that homelessness is the 'single biggest risk' to boroughs' finances and may cause bankruptcy – that's according to cross-party group London Councils, the collective of local government in London representing all 32 boroughs and the City of London. We've been told many times how homelessness is pushing many councils to the brink. In 2024, Eastbourne borough council claimed it was spending 49p in every pound of the council tax it collected on housing people in temporary accommodation. We know the housing crisis is real. One only has to look at the proliferation of tents that have sprung up, and the lack of advertised rentals on property portals to know this is not another lie. But, get ready for the plot twist. While London Councils estimates it has been forced to overspend on homelessness budgets by £330m in 2024-25, this Labour Government claims it is tackling the root causes of homelessness. How are they doing that? According to Labour, by building homes and abolishing Section 21. It is at this point that I know things really don't add up. Section 21 isn't a root cause of homelessness; private landlords being forced to use it as a way to exit the market ahead of looming government regulations is. Make no mistake about this. Labour, with their promised Renters' Rights Bill, have destroyed what were the last vestiges of an already dying market. Ask any landlord why they're selling up and most will tell you it's because of the changing regulations. Tax plays a role too, but the fear of what is coming next is the primary reason for why most landlords have chucked in the towel. This is backed up by statistics. A survey from SpareRoom in February found two-thirds of landlords were looking to sell up, chiefly driven by Labour's Renters' Rights Bill. When asked what their top three concerns were, landlords replied: the Renters' Rights Bill (88pc), the end of Section 21 (75pc) and reduced profitability (70pc). But the situation is even worse when you look at the wider market, because now a record number of landlords (88pc) have no confidence in the current private rental sector. This is a figure that increases to 90pc in London. SpareRoom also found that more than a third (34pc) of landlords plan to leave the sector altogether this year, increasing to 42pc of landlords in London. This is a diabolical state of affairs for all tenants who are looking for a private rental. Not only is there a severe shortage of properties, the prices being charged for those that are available are insane. And I say that as a landlord. What is most frustrating is the lies Labour continue to peddle. Section 21 is not a root cause of homelessness. It is purely a tool that allows landlords – through the correct legal process – to repossess a property. It is also the only tool available to landlords should they wish to sell. It is about time the Government faces up to the consequences of its actions. The threat of further regulations and the proposed abolishment of Section 21 has frightened the market. Landlords have fled, and continue to flee. The Government needs to understand that when you increase the risks to landlords while reducing their legal rights, they will choose to invest their hard-earned money outside of the exceptionally challenging private rental market.
ITV News
24-04-2025
- Business
- ITV News
London's homelessness crisis poses ‘single biggest risk' to councils, warn leaders
London's homelessness crisis is now the single biggest financial risk facing local authorities, according to a new warning from London Councils. The cross-party group, which represents the capital's 32 boroughs and the City of London, says spiraling temporary accommodation costs have forced councils to overspend by at least £330 million this year, an increase of 60% when compared to original homelessness budgets. Councils are legally required to house eligible homeless residents, making it essentially impossible for councils to place strict limits on their expenditure. The number of Londoners in temporary accommodation is now at a record high, with 183,000 people, around one in every 50 residents, needing shelter. London Councils said the capital's boroughs are collectively spending £4 million a day on temporary housing, often relying on costly hotel placements due to a shortage of affordable homes. Over recent years, 45,000 properties have disappeared from the lower end of London's private rental sector. Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council and Housing Lead for London Councils, said: "London councils are facing risk of bankruptcy and homelessness is becoming the biggest risk. "They're spending £330 million overspend on homelessness on top of their housing budget. "It's becoming a real risk of borrowers becoming bankruptcy and therefore having to get into debt to pay for local services for Londoners.' Asked why the situation has become so bad, she said: 'London is like the epicentre of the housing crisis. "56% of all homeless people nationally live in reason homelessness is so bad is a really bad combination of things like massive reductions in the number of landlords that are in London, the fact that housing costs are so high and the lack of home building over a long period..." Cllr Williams told ITV News of the implications of this in her borough. She said: 'In Waltham Forest, we spend 60% of our budget on adult and children's social care and homelessness. That leaves less for all the other services our residents rely on. "If councils go bankrupt, they'll have to borrow more, increasing debt over time.' London Councils is calling for urgent action in the upcoming government Spending Review. Its demands include ending the 14-year freeze on how much councils can claim back for temporary accommodation, making the recent uplift in Local Housing Allowance permanent, and boosting long-term investment in affordable housing. The group is also urging the government to prioritise the cross-departmental strategy on homelessness and ensure councils play a central role. A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We inherited a serious housing crisis which is why we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness, fix the foundations of local government and drive forward our Plan for Change. 'This government is providing £1 billion for crucial homelessness services and tackling the root causes of homelessness by building 1.5 million new homes, boosting social and affordable housing and abolishing section 21 no fault evictions.'
