The LGA's media office provides the national voice of local government in England and Wales on the major issues of the day for national, regional and local press.
Increasing numbers of families are turning to councils for temporary accommodation as homelessness reaches record highs, the Local Government Association warns.
Analysis from the LGA, which represent councils across England, reveals that the number of households living in temporary accommodation has risen by 89 per cent over the past decade to 104,000 households at the end of March 2023 – the highest figures since records began in 1998 – costing councils at least £1.74 billion in 2022/23.
The severe shortage of social housing means councils are being forced to pay to house people in private
Responding to the immigration minister Robert Jenrick’s announcement that fifty hotels will be closed to asylum seekers by January, Cllr Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association said:
“Councils have a proud history of supporting humanitarian efforts and continue to work hard to protect and support refugees and help deliver a wide range of government asylum and resettlement schemes. Councils share the government’s ambitions to end hotel use for asylum seekers.
“Hotel closures have a direct impact on councils and local government wants to play an active role in working with
Councils have jointly written to the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho MP, calling for a change of approach in delivering net zero.
“What works in urban centres is different to rural communities. We are pleased the Government has listened to the LGA and councils and decided not to significantly reduce the flexibilities in how councils collect waste from people’s homes."
We have raised concerns about councils being asked to commit to numbers of arrivals or propose a cap. It might be difficult for councils to predict potential arrival numbers across both asylum and resettlement and therefore their capacity to support new arrivals and the additional housing needed.
“Councils share the frustration of all road users about the conditions of our local roads. The LGA has long-called for longer term funding to tackle the issues facing our roads and we believe that government should award local authority Highways Departments with five yearly funding allocations to give more certainty, bringing councils on a par with National Highways"