Poorer households in particular are suffering from rising prices and high energy bills. More than 5,700 people lost their homes in London between April and September as a result of escalating prices. The number of unreported cases could be much higher.
According to official figures, the number of homeless people in London has risen by almost a quarter due to the rising cost of living. Between April and September, 5,712 people lived on the streets of the British capital, according to an analysis by local authorities. That is 24 percent more than in the same period last year. It is expected that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher.
The statistics are just a selection of a larger analysis to be released on Monday, the PA news agency said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on the government to take immediate action to tackle rising bills and housing costs. Among other things, he called for a freeze on rents and a ban on short-term evictions.
Since 2016, 13,500 people have been helped to get out of homelessness, eight out of ten people permanently. But the extraordinary financial pressure is putting the poorest in London at risk, Khan said. “We continue to see a vicious cycle of people becoming homeless as a result of this escalating cost-of-living crisis.” The government must improve the circumstances so that thousands do not have to spend the winter on the streets.
Great Britain is also suffering from high inflation. Most recently, it rose to over ten percent in September. “I’m aware that families across the country are struggling with rising prices and high energy bills,” said Treasury Secretary Jeremy Hunt when the figures were released. The government will make helping the most vulnerable “a priority” while ensuring economic stability and long-term growth “that will help everyone.”