Hidden Homelessness On The Rise in Canterbury
As government figures out today show a rise in homelessness in Canterbury, Catching Lives and housing charity Shelter are urging people struggling with their housing costs this Christmas to seek advice.Statistics from the Department for Communities and Local Government show that 128 households were accepted as homeless by Canterbury Council, more than 4 times the number in the previous quarter.
The number of homeless acceptances across the whole of England is also on the rise, up 17% to 11,840. This is the first sustained increase since 2003.
The figures also show 68 homeless households in Canterbury will be spending Christmas in temporary accommodation.
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Shelter said: "Already in Britain every two minutes someone faces the nightmare of losing their home, so it's really worrying to see homelessness is on the rise in Canterbury.
"We know from the cases we see every day that just one single thing, like a bout of illness, rent increase or drop in income, is all that's needed push people into spiral of debt and arrears that can lead to the loss of their home.
"At a time of year when many people are taking on extra debt, Shelter is urging anyone struggling with their housing costs to urgently seek advice. Shelter's free housing helpline is there to help when things start to spiral out of control."
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