Could the Welsh approach help reduce homelessness in England?

The homelessness crisis in England is continuing to grow with new figures showing people accepted as homeless by councils is up by a third since 2010.

A Shelter analysis using the latest official data showed a 6% year-on-year rise in the total number of households accepted as homeless during 2015. This includes an 8% rise in homeless households with dependant children.

The biggest cause of homelessness in 2015 was the loss of a tenancy, which includes 17,000 households given emergency accommodation by their local council after being evicted by private landlords. Shelter said the 56,600 people accepted as homeless by councils in 2015 was 33% higher than in 2010, and urged the government to act.

But last the Welsh government passed a law that placed a legal duty on councils to help people in housing crisis. Following implementation of the homelessness prevention law, figures recently published for Wales showed that formal homelessness was down by a staggering 67% in nine months.

Welsh government data showed that where councils worked closely with tenants at risk of losing a tenancy they were successful in keeping them in their homes in two-thirds of cases.

The success of the Welsh model offered a way forward for England, said Jon Sparkes, chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis, and urged ministers to consider changing the law.

“We strongly urge the government to follow through on its commitment to consider options – including legislation – to prevent more people from becoming homeless. It is essential that all homeless people can get the help they need and that councils get the necessary funding to deliver on this,” he said.

A Department of Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “We know more must be done which is why are considering all options, including legislation, to prevent more people becoming homeless in the first place.

“This government has always been committed to supporting the most vulnerable people in our society and while statutory homelessness remains less than half the 2003-04 peak, one person without a home is one too many.”