Homelessness is continuing to rise in Milton Keynes. Last week (Ending 6 October) saw 15 households come to the Council as actually homeless on each day of the week. That is a family becoming homeless every half an hour of the working day. 

Last week 73 households came to the Council as actually homeless on the day.  At the same time a further 190 families (38 per day) saw a Homelessness Prevention Officer as they are threatened with homelessness.   

By the end of last week 593 households were in Temporary Accommodation provided by the Council. Most of these families are in work. Only 3 of these families were in Bed and Breakfast (0.5%).

At the same time 37 rough sleepers were provided with temporary accommodation last week. This number has dropped, as rough sleepers previously provided with temporary accommodation have been rehoused permanently with care and support.

Cllr Nigel Long, Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration said, “Milton Keynes faces a spike in homelessness with families being evicted by Private Landlords under the so called Section 21 no fault evictions, being the main reason for rising homelessness.”

In August 2018 Generation Rent reported that analysis of quarterly eviction and homelessness data suggests 94% of the rise in homelessness can be blamed on no-fault evictions, which have more than doubled since 2009.*

Cllr Long concluded, “Last week 15 families lost their home each week day. The solution has to be for the Government to change this harmful Section 21 Housing law and restore security to the private rented sector. We also need to see the Prime Ministers pledge to end the borrowing restrictions that stop the Council from building new Council houses removed this year, not in 4 years’ time when she is unlikely to be the Prime Minister.”

*Source: The Guardian, 2018