The Salvation Army has issued a new report on the government’s performance on social housing which draws the conclusion that the government is failing Britain’s vulnerable people.
According to the report entitled ‘A Home For All? – homelessness policy challenges for Labour’s Third Term’, 47 per cent of all hostel residents are ready to move out but remain stuck in the hostels owing to a lack of affordable housing.
The lack of cheap accommodation means that spaces for those people still sleeping on the streets have been effectively ‘bed-blocked’.
The Salvation Army news site said: “Without this new and affordable housing, homelessness will continue to be a blight on society in the 21st century”.
This report states that the Government has only really dealt effectively with the very visible signs of homelessness, like rough-sleeping, while not doing enough for the country’s significant hostel population,” said Major Ian Harris, Salvation Army Director of Social Services. “There is a chronic shortage of social housing and unless hostel residents can move out we will never end homelessness.”
The report also highlighted a worrying ‘postcode lottery’ which exists in the care for the homeless, with the level of support available depending on the local council’s level of commitment to the issue.
The issue of substance misuse was also raised by the report, The Salvation Army calling on greater support and treatment for the 46 per cent of homeless people suffering from substance addiction according to the report.
“Substance misuse is still a key cause of homelessness and one of the main reasons why many people find it difficult to move back to secure, independent living,” commented Major Dean Logan, from The Salvation Army’s Addiction Services. “Until there is a large expansion in the provision of treatment for substance misusers the number of people classified as homeless will stubbornly refuse to drop.”
The report presents seven policy challenges to government including the provision of ‘move-on accommodation’ – low-cost housing for those currently homeless – and specialist accommodation to ensure homeless people receive the support they need.
The Salvation Army currently runs 6 detox centres and 50 residential centres around the UK serving around 3,000 people. The centres offer vital support and rehabilitation to their clients including help with addictions, life-training and vocational and IT courses.
