Homelessness up 14% this year

[*_ash_*]

I also don't know why we don't build houses using the prefabricated models that are available on the continent. They can be built complete with all the services and have someone living in them within a fortnight.

 

Within a very short time it could make a big dent in the housing shortage

 

Are you not watching the WCup? Favelas come to mind!

 

(of course, I'm exaggerating to point out the obvious that many can't see)

 

-

 

But seriously, why hasn't any government done this?

 

It doesn't win votes Anna, in a country with so many home owners.

 

-

 

edit to add,

 

before you take this literally, we are no where near this. No where near at all. I think Brazilians would laugh at our 'austerity measures'. Laugh ironically. If you really understood poverty, you might be a step closer to understanding life.

Edited June 24, 2014 by *_ash_*

[Cyclone]

The rent is subsidised by the tax payer so landlords can continue to charge what they like and they will be paid (up to the cap which really only affects London and particularly large houses.) That sounds artificial to me.

Most BTL landlords don't want DSL tenants, so the rent is not subsidised at all.

[truman]

The rent is subsidised by the tax payer so landlords can continue to charge what they like and they will be paid (up to the cap which really only affects London and particularly large houses.) That sounds artificial to me.

 

If they remove the subsidy then you might have a point, but if they do, ordinary people are going to suffer terribly, so I don't know what the answer is.

 

Do all tenants receive housing benefit?

[Cyclone]

From

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistical-summaries

at February 2014, the total number of people claiming Housing Benefit was 5.0 million

 

There were 3.3 million private and 3.6 million social housing renting households in 2009/10

 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/jul/05/housing-market-england

 

It was increasing rapidly so I think we can assume it is considerably higher in 2014, so possibly 50% of renting households have support, with a higher portion of those being in social rented housing rather than private.

[Anna B]

Do all tenants receive housing benefit?

 

This is an interesting point. An awful lot of workers receive tax credits of some sort. I don't know the actual figures.

And it's not unknown for workers to give up their jobs (or don't take on another short term contract,) so they can get housing benefit as this is the only way they can meet the rent.

 

Crazy.

[Cyclone]

Tax credits are not housing benefit, which is the only benefit that can even remotely be considered to be propping up the rental market.

 

Tax credits are just tax that should never have been taken in the first place, if the system made sense.

[26b-6]

Tax credits are not housing benefit, which is the only benefit that can even remotely be considered to be propping up the rental market.

 

Tax credits are just tax that should never have been taken in the first place, if the system made sense.

 

Most of the current UK benefits system is bureaucracy on crack, it all needs replacing with a Guaranteed Basic Income with NHS prescribed subsidies for the disabled.

 

No great surprise to read hipsters and oriental investors have exacerbated homelessness even in less desirable towns like Sheffield.

 

https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/homelessness-knowledge-hub/homelessness-monitor/england/the-homelessness-monitor-england-2018/

[Anna B]

Most of the current UK benefits system is bureaucracy on crack, it all needs replacing with a Guaranteed Basic Income with NHS prescribed subsidies for the disabled.

 

No great surprise to read hipsters and oriental investors have exacerbated homelessness even in less desirable towns like Sheffield.

 

https://www.crisis.org.uk/ending-homelessness/homelessness-knowledge-hub/homelessness-monitor/england/the-homelessness-monitor-england-2018/

 

Sad reading. And the situation in Sheffield is about to get a whole lot worse with the introduction of Universal Credit. (November.)

 

I was talking to someone who is currently doing the training for Universal Credit. They say there were so many basic questions asked, which were met with 'Well, that hasn't been sorted out yet...'

 

The thing hasn't been thought through properly at all. Far too many variables which are going to cause delays, wrong decisions, and ultimately hardship.

[onewheeldave]

Sad reading. And the situation in Sheffield is about to get a whole lot worse with the introduction of Universal Credit. (November.)

 

I was talking to someone who is currently doing the training for Universal Credit. They say there were so many basic questions asked, which were met with 'Well, that hasn't been sorted out yet...'

 

The thing hasn't been thought through properly at all. Far too many variables which are going to cause delays, wrong decisions, and ultimately hardship.

 

Even if Universal credit was run out without errors, it will still be devastating. What many don't realise is that ALL benefits (except PIP) will be administered by the Jobcentre, and so the sanctions they impose will not only affect Jobseekers allowance.

 

Currently sanctions can not touch Housing benefit, Working/child tax credits, council tax benefit etc, but, when they are all absorbed into universal credit, a sanction will remove them all for a period of several months. The financial consequences will be 2/3/4 times worse than they currently are, leading to, in some cases, homelessness, use of loan sharks etc, etc.

 

(and of course, universal credit will not be run out without errors, making it even more of a disaster).

[El Cid]

Sheffield is due to begin the wholesale roll-out the city’s new benefit claimants on to the Government’s flagship universal credit programme in November.