The Conservative Government’s promise to be judged on how they ‘care for the weakest and most vulnerable at home’ has been challenged as it emerged that child homelessness has risen by 80% since 2010.
These figures buried in the website of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government also reveal that the number of households in temporary accommodation has increased by 74% from 2010 to 2018.
In the Tees Valley the number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of last year was 120, 37 of them children. There are 150 households in temporary accommodation across the North East.
Stockton North MP and Shadow Housing Minister, Alex Cunningham, said
When this Conservative Government ends, the national shame of rising homelessness will be on its political tombstone.
Homelessness fell at an unprecedented rate under Labour, but under the Tories even more children will be homeless this Christmas.
This is a direct result of Conservative decisions to slash investment for affordable homes, cut back housing benefit, reduce funding for homelessness services, and deny protection to private renters.
The next Labour Government will end rough sleeping within a Parliament and tackle the root causes of rising homelessness with more affordable homes and stronger rights for renters.