Shelter responds to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement

Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “Growth won’t mean anything to ordinary people unless it’s shared, and right now record numbers are homeless, billions are being sunk into temporary accommodation, and welfare cuts will push more people into homelessness. The £2 billion announcement for social and affordable housing is a positive step, but to achieve the Chancellor’s ‘serious plan for growth’, we need significantly more investment in social rent homes to give families a secure foundation.

“Decades of failure to build enough social homes has pushed private rents to extortionate levels, while incomes can’t keep up. More and more renters are falling into debt, priced out of their communities or left at risk of losing their homes. Over 164,000 children are stuck in shoddy temporary accommodation for months, even years, because there’s nowhere to move on to.

“There are no shortcuts out of the housing emergency - the government must invest in 90,000 social homes a year in the Spending Review in June. Not only is this the only way for the government to meet its target of 1.5 million homes, it would end homelessness, and add over £50 billion to the economy through boosting jobs and savings for the NHS and benefits bill.”

ENDS