Number of people in temporary accommodation up 25 per cent in a year

Islington Town Hall. Photograph: Islington Citizen

The number of people living in temporary accommodation in Islington has risen by 25 per cent over the past year, according to the latest figures from Islington Council.

In March 2024, there were almost 800 households relying on council-provided temporary accommodation.

This is up from just under 600 in March last year, and almost double the number of households relying on temporary accommodation three years ago, in March 2021.

“The local and national picture are increasingly difficult for the homeless,” according to a council report, which found that more households were being pushed into homelessness by the cost-of-living crisis and private sector rents.

In 2023, “private sector rents [rose] in Inner London by 13.2 per cent”, making it harder for low-income households to afford.

Temporary accommodation is also in short supply.

The report continues: “The number of private rental sector properties available for use to TA [temporary accommodation] in London to rent has fallen… by 41 per cent” since June 2017.

Consequently, the council “is forced to use… expensive hotel[s]”.

To tackle the rising demand for temporary accommodation, Islington Council has acquired almost £2 million in grant funding.

This has been put towards “the new Stacey Street project, releasing up to 100 new properties in 2023/24 and 310 new properties in 2024/25”.

The report adds: “These properties will be cost neutral to the Housing General Fund (HGF) budget and will help lower TA [temporary accommodation] costs in the long term.”