UK Housing activist slams Labour’s homelessness policy

Thousands of young people will be left homeless this Christmas. Labour should build more council housing, not fund private businesses and property developers

Centrepoint supports homeless young people (Pic: Wikimedia commons)

By Arthur Townend
Wednesday 20 November  2024

 SOCIALIST WORKER  Issue

Almost 23,000 young people in Britain are facing homelessness this winter. The shocking figures, released by the homelessness charity Centrepoint, show that 22,800 people aged between 16-24 years olds are set to be without a home over the Christmas period.

But that figure could be much higher due to “hidden homelessness”. Centrepoint warned that many rely on “sofa-surfing” but haven’t turned to local councils for help.

Last year, some 135,800 young people aged 16 to 24 were homeless or at risk of homelessness. But just a third of people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness experienced a positive outcome from their local council.

While youth homelessness is caused by a myriad of factors, from seeking asylum to escaping violence to mental health issues, the government’s failure to act has created a systemic crisis.

Paul Burnham from Haringey Defend Council Housing and Homes4All told Socialist Worker, “Centrepoint has tracked youth homelessness. It was already bad, but it appears to be getting so much worse.

“This is the pattern across the affordable housing sector and the government is not addressing it. Labour appears to believe the answer is to give property developers what they want and have a market-led approach.

“But this all means that while the need is greatest among those who have the least resources, housing is all directed towards those not on the lowest incomes and towards those who are not in the greatest need.”

In response to the figures, Labour’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the figures were “completely unacceptable”.

“We have introduced an emergency £10 million fund to protect rough sleepers from the cold this winter and in the Budget announced an additional £233 million for homelessness services, taking total spending to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26,” the statement added.

But that £1 billion figure doesn’t even account for the cost councils face for temporary housing, let alone begin to address the structural, chronic housing shortage.

Paul slammed Labour’s housing policies, arguing that its budget simply ignores Britain’s housing crisis. “The biggest single new housing investment is £3 billion in housing guarantees to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and build to rent schemes. This means funding private sector and corporate house builders.

“It is not directed towards the people in Centrepoint’s report. Who are the people most in need? Homeless with nowhere to go. Those on lower incomes who are in debt. Labour’s policies should be directed towards those people.”

The solution lies with a mass programme of building council housing. There should be immediate action against private landlords such as rent controls. Paul said, “We need investment in council housing and improvements to council housing.

“The only thing Labour has to offer is higher council rents. It is discussing how much to increase rents by, but it’s not suitable to have vulnerable people to fund the housing programme and it won’t raise enough money anyway. Labour must build council housing and improve it. Right now, all the housing campaign organisations should be getting Labour to change its ways.”