Huge fall in Peterborough homeless households following new legislation

The Homelessness Reduction Act in 2017 forced councils in England to provide support to eligible homeless households, as well as those at risk of becoming homeless in the next 56 days.

And in Peterborough, the number of households accepted as homeless has fallen from 632 in 2017/18 to 174 in 2020/21, despite large increases in the number of people seeking support.

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: “In 2017, the Government introduced the Homelessness Reduction Act which allowed councils to get involved with households struggling financially at a much earlier stage.

“Due to our greater powers thanks to the Homelessness Reduction Act, we have been able to prevent 710 households from becoming homeless since 2018/19 - for example, by liaising with landlords. This has meant that the total numbers of households in Peterborough becoming homeless has also decreased.

“We urge anyone who is having trouble paying their rent/mortgage to approach us as soon as they can on 01733 864 064 or by emailing [email protected]. The earlier they get in contact the more we can do to help.”

Homelessness has been one of the biggest crises facing Peterborough in recent years.

The council increased its stock of temporary accommodation after being criticised for sending families to Travelodges and B&Bs following a “sharp and sudden increase” in homeless households in 2018.

This included sending 63 families to Travelodges outside of the city, including as far away as Doncaster.

However, no households are now being accommodated in B&Bs either inside or outside the city, despite rising numbers asking for support.

Moreover, the number of rough sleepers in the city has dropped from an estimated 37 to five.