UK Faces ‘Worst Housing Crisis in Living Memory,’ Says British Government

The British government raises alarm over the country’s housing crisis, labeling it the worst in living memory and calling for urgent solutions to address the growing issue.

The British government has unveiled what it calls “the largest ever cash boost” to address the escalating destitution in England. Homelessness Minister Rushanara Ali acknowledged that this is “the worst housing crisis in living memory.”

It was announced on Tuesday that councils nationwide will receive nearly £1 billion ($1.27 billion) in new funding next year. Recent data indicates that this sum matches what councils have spent on temporary accommodation for homeless families over the past year.

According to a press release, the funding is intended to stop households from becoming homeless initially.

Earlier this month, the housing charity Shelter announced that homelessness had increased by 14% over the past year. In England alone, there are now at least 354,000 people without homes, including 161,500 children.

The charity had earlier urged the government to “invest in truly affordable social housing” rather than “pour billions into temporary solutions annually.”

The Labour government stated that “years of consecutive failures” to invest in preventive measures have led to a record high number of homeless households across England.

Before the general election in July, which concluded over ten years of Conservative rule, The Guardian newspaper published an opinion piece highlighting Tory policy decisions since 2010—such as the repeated capping and freezing of local housing benefits—as a “direct cause” of rising homelessness.

According to Shelter’s data, the overall cost of homelessness in England has increased twofold over the last five years, amounting to £2.3 billion between April 2023 and March 2024. This total includes £1 billion spent by councils on temporary accommodation for homeless families and housing benefits.

Homelessness remains a significant concern in various regions of the UK. In May, Scotland’s government announced a national housing emergency. Over in Wales, expenditures on temporary accommodation increased seven times from 2018 to 2022. Northern Ireland has also experienced nearly fourfold growth in placements within temporary shelters since 2019.

A recent survey indicated that 57% of the British public lacks confidence in the government’s ability to completely eliminate “significant levels” of homelessness.