Figures show over 14 thousand homeless in the South West
That's according to housing charity Shelter as government announces new homelessness strategy.
New figures from housing charity Shelter reveal that over 14-thousand people in the South West are homeless.
That includes over one-thousand-three-hundred in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary area - and 394 in Dorset.
This comes at the government's announcing 3-and-a-half billion pounds' worth of funding as part of its homelessness strategy - promising to halve the number of long-term rough sleepers by the end of the decade.
Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive Officer at Shelter, said: “It’s unthinkable that as winter sets in, more than 382,000 people are without a safe place to call home. Thousands of people are bracing themselves for their next freezing night on the street, while over 84,000 families are facing up to the grim reality of spending Christmas in damaging temporary accommodation."
“Every day at Shelter we hear from parents who are terrified of waiting out another winter in appalling temporary accommodation. Cut off from family and friends in a bleak emergency B&B that’s miles away, they watch as their children’s breath hangs in the air and mould climbs the walls."
“We urge the government to help the families who are homeless right now by ending the freeze on housing benefit. This would immediately lift thousands of children out of temporary accommodation and into a home. While we campaign for change, our frontline services will continue providing direct support to those facing homelessness this winter and beyond. The public can join us in this fight by donating to our urgent appeal today.”
On the government's new homeless strategy, Housing Secretary Steve Reed said:
"Homelessness is one of the most profound challenges we face as a society, because at the heart, it’s about people. Families deserve stability, children need a safe place to grow, and individuals simply want the dignity of a home."
"This strategy is shaped by the voices of those who’ve lived through homelessness and the frontline workers who fight tirelessly to prevent it. "
"Through our new strategy we can build a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and not repeated. With record investment, new duties on public services, and a relentless focus on accountability, we will turn ambition into reality.”