Single Mums Hit Hardest By Homelessness

Single mothers and their children are being disproportionately affected by rising homelessness in England, the charity Shelter has told the BBC.

Its analysis of government figures suggests one in every 55 single-parent families became homeless in 2017-18. In 92% of these 26,610 cases, the homeless parent was a single mother. Furthermore, according to the homeless charity Crisis, there has been a 169% increase in the number of homeless people in England since 2010. The definition of homelessness under law includes rough sleepers, single people in hostels and those in temporary accommodation.

Shelter found single parents and their children were eight times more likely to become homeless than couples with children, with the “vast majority” being single mothers. Shelter said its findings meant that out of all of the families accepted as homeless in England, two-thirds were single female parents with dependent children.

Chief executive of Shelter, Polly Neate, said: “It is simply not right to allow families to suffer in this way. Balancing work and childcare can be difficult for any parent – add to that wildly unaffordable private rents and the chronic shortage of social homes and it’s no surprise so many are struggling to keep a roof over their children’s heads.” She urged the government to “get many more social homes built and until then ensure housing benefit is enough to cover the cost of private rents.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said in a statement: “We are working to ensure people are not left without anywhere to go and we are spending over £1.2bn to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping, as well as implementing the most ambitious legislative reform in decades, the Homelessness Reduction Act.”

The government said: “No family should be left without a roof over their head and councils must provide homeless single parents… with accommodation.”