Evidence submission: Shelter submission for the Autumn Statement 2023

The freeze to the local housing allowance is driving record homelessness. There are now over 104,000 households who are homeless and in damaging temporary accommodation. They are stuck because, even with help from the council, they can't move out into an affordable
privately rented home and face waits of years to access social housing.

It's now vital that government unfreezes local housing allowance if record homelessness is to be addressed. The cost of the freeze is paid in damage to the health, job prospects and finances of people experiencing homelessness and unsustainable TA spending by local authorities.

The ultimate solution to end homelessness for good is to build a new generation of truly affordable social homes. But while we have a severe shortage of social housing, families need somewhere to live. We urge the Chancellor to unfreeze local housing allowance so that it again covers at least the cheapest 30% of local rents.