The Impact of Covid-19 on Homelessness in the UK.

Illustration by Kate Moore @kmooredesign

Homelessness and rough sleeping have, like many other societal issues, been highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic. As the country, and the world, issued stay at home orders, it became clear that the un-housed would require government support to do so. In the UK, the majority of those put into temporary accommodation went into hotels and hostels. However, as lockdown regulations fluctuate, and with the economy and hotel sector opening, many are at risk of being un-housed once again. This article explores how provision for these individuals has developed throughout the pandemic.

Entering Lockdown

In March, the government initiated the ‘Everyone In’ scheme. This was a UK wide effort to ensure that rough sleepers and homeless individuals were ensured coronavirus-safe temporary accommodation during the lockdown and pandemic. Most of these individuals were housed in hotels, paid for by local councils. Approximately 90% of known rough sleepers were offered accommodation, although this number does not include those who were not known to their local council as being vulnerable to rough sleeping and homelessness.

The government also created the ‘Covid-19 Rough Sleeping Task Force’, spearheaded by Dame Louise Casey. It was backed by £3.2 million for targeted funding for councils to rent accommodation. The government has claimed that nearly 15,000 people were given emergency accommodation as part of the ‘Everyone In’ policy.

A great advantage to this widespread systematic housing of homeless and rough sleepers was that the needs of these individuals could be assessed, allowing for the provision of necessary support and services. Furthermore, the government pledged £76 million for the specific needs of domestic abuse survivors, including tailored help for homeless individuals directly affected by domestic abuse.

Exiting Lockdown

As hotels opened for commercial use across the UK (the earliest opening in North Ireland on the 3rd of July), many people were left in limbo without further information or provision. The Treasury pledged an extra £85 million to provide further accommodation for those without permanent housing, delegating organisational responsibility to local councils. Wales had anticipated this need for alternatives to hotel accommodation, and in June the devolved government provided an extra £20 million to convert empty buildings and to develop new purpose-built housing.

However, for many this has not been enough, and the move to permanent coronavirus-safe accommodation has not come into fruition. The BBC found that at the end of June (only days before the hotels reopened in some nations) 17 councils in the UK had three quarters of their homeless population still in temporary accommodation or rough sleeping again. The national government has pledged an extra £3.2 billion to English councils and £300 million to the devolved nations; however, it is unclear how much of this can be directed to housing, as local councils struggle to combat losses in every economic sector. It may mean that much of this money is directed to other public services.

By the end of July, 16 homeless individuals had died in England due to confirmed coronavirus. In reality this number was likely higher, as the Office for National Statistics acknowledges there are no estimates for unidentified homeless deaths. As temporary housing contracts end and more people become vulnerable to accommodation instability, as well as colder weather throughout the winter months, it is undoubted that these numbers will increase.

In Edinburgh

Locally in Edinburgh, 500 beds were secured for homeless individuals by the council, and the renting of short term lets for rough sleepers increased by 48%. There is further pressure in Edinburgh, from the council, for short-term let landlords to provide long term accommodation for rough sleepers by renting to the council.

At the end of June, the council ensured an additional £9.3 million of public money to continue the temporary accommodation of homeless individuals, especially as hotels start to open and the contracts end. The goal is to maintain these temporary accommodation contracts until March 2021. The council says it has almost ended rough sleeping in the city and wants to sustainability maintain this policy.

Recent Developments:

Since the writing of this article in July 2020, the following developments have occurred:

On the 17th September, as part of England and Wales’ ‘Everyone In’ initiative, the ‘Next Steps Accommodation Programme’ was launched. 274 councils are set to receive a portion of £91.5 million to provide short-term and immediate accommodation and help support vulnerable people move on into sustainable housing.

The 20th September marked the lifting of the ban on evictions in England and Wales. However extended notice periods in which landlords have to give tenants 6 months’ notice have been introduced and will remain in force until 31 March 2021.

As part of Scotland’s ‘Ending Homelessness Together’ plan, updated in the wake of the pandemic, night shelters are set to be phased out and replaced with “rapid rehousing welcome centres”; providing those in need with a bed for the night and then longer term accommodation. This comes amid fears of the virus spreading easily in the dormitory-style accommodation that night shelters often provide. Nevertheless, considering that there were insufficient social homes before the pandemic, for this service to be effective, there also needs to be a commitment to increase funding for their development. Shelter Scotland have estimated that a minimum of 37,100 social homes need to be built over the next five years.

Despite the rise in coronavirus cases over the last few weeks, in September 2020 the Home Office renounced its ban on asylum evictions. Individuals who claimed asylum and have had their applications refused are now receiving eviction notices to leave within 21 days. Although Home Office guidelines state that people subject to regional lockdowns should not be evicted, there is evidence of eviction notices still being issued in areas under local lockdown such as Liverpool and Yorkshire, increasing the risk of vulnerable people being forced back onto the street.

Support Shelter’s #BuildScotlandsFuture campaign to build the social houses that Scotland needs.

https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/get_involved/campaigning/buildscotlandsfuture