Thousands at risk of becoming homeless
Thousands of people across the Black Country and Staffordshire were entitled to homelessness support last year, figures have revealed.
The Local Government Association has urged leaders to provide “desperately-needed” social housing, with council homelessness services already under pressure before the Covid-19 crisis hit.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) data shows 2,154 households in Wolverhampton were assessed as entitled to help from the council in the year to March, while the figure was 1,764 households in Dudley, 1,215 in Sandwell and 1,097 in Walsall.
While in Staffordshire, figures showed 250 households in Cannock, 212 in Stafford and 128 in South Staffordshire were assessed as entitled to help from the relevant councils.
A Wolverhampton Council spokesman said: “Wolverhampton, like the rest of country, has seen an increase in the number of households in housing need due to financial difficulties, eviction from the private rented sector and domestic abuse.”
Councillor Laura Taylor, cabinet member for housing, communities and residents’ welfare at Dudley Council, said: “The safety and wellbeing of every person in the borough is important to us and we take the issue of homelessness very seriously.”
Councillor Keith Allcock, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for homes, said the authority was “working hard to make sure we are providing the support and care for those who are facing homelessness or are indeed already homeless”.
Walsall Council’s deputy leader Adrian Andrew, said: “No person should have to be homeless, and so our aim is to prevent homelessness occurring in the first place.”
