Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateAndrew Stephenson
Main Page: Andrew Stephenson (Conservative - Pendle)Department Debates - View all Andrew Stephenson's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(1 year, 10 months ago)
Commons ChamberThe total number of people who have been homeless or threatened with homelessness in the last year is 4% lower than pre-covid-19 levels. That shows that our unprecedented action to protect households during the pandemic has worked, as does the fact that rough sleeping levels are now at an eight-year low.
The data that I have is very different. The cost of living crisis is expected to get worse in the coming months, there was an 11% increase in homelessness between 2021 and 2022, and the number of evictions peaked at nearly 5,000 between April and June this year, up nearly 30% on the previous quarter. What commitments will the Minister give today to ensure that hundreds of thousands of people do not risk losing their homes this winter?
The Government understand the pressures that people are facing as a result of the cost of living, and we have undertaken a range of measures to help them with, in particular, their energy bills. That is in addition to the more than £37 billion of cost of living support for families across the United Kingdom that we announced earlier this year.
The most egregious form of homelessness is rough sleeping, which is why I was so delighted that in September this year, thanks to the incredible hard work of Penny Hobman, Richard Chapman and Stephanie Larnder, we were able to publish this Government’s strategy to end rough sleeping. Will the Ministers commit themselves to delivering on that strategy?
I am grateful for the opportunity to pay fulsome tribute to my hard-working predecessor for his incredible work in not just getting the strategy over the line, but agreeing the £2 billion of funding that will support the implementation of that strategy over the next three years. I am delighted to be carrying on his great work.
I know that today’s focus is on heating homes, but for far too many people it is on saving their homes. Nearly 20,000 households have been put at risk of homelessness by no-fault evictions in the past year, a rise of 121%, while the Government dither. Mortgages are soaring, rents are rising, homelessness is increasing, and 1,300 Ukrainian refugee households, many with children, are homeless because of the Department’s failure to act on repeated warnings. The Chartered Institute of Housing says that without action this Government will break their promise to end rough sleeping by 2024. Will the new Minister tell us whether they are sticking to that pledge, or will he tell us the truth—that the homelessness crisis will not be fixed by increasing bankers’ bonuses, but will only be fixed by a change of Government?
We remain absolutely committed to our manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping. According to the latest official statistics, published in February 2020, the number of people sleeping rough is at an eight-year low and has almost halved since 2017. Rough sleeping has now decreased in every region of England. We are committed to continuing the great work of my predecessor and implementing the “Ending rough sleeping for good” strategy, and, as I said earlier, there is £2 billion of funding for the next three years.
The Government stand with Ukraine, and under the two visa schemes, Ukrainian refugees have full access to public services and welfare for up to three years. Over 120,000 Ukrainians have now arrived using those two schemes.
I thank the Government for the incredible support we are giving to Ukrainian refugees and my constituents, who have welcomed so many into their homes. Sadly, we are already hearing reports of breakdown between sponsor and refugee. Last week, I met the leader of Runnymede Borough Council and discussed the plans that he is putting in place to support refugees who cannot be rematched. What support is available to local authorities in that regard?
I am grateful to the hosts in my hon. Friend’s constituency for the generosity and good will they have shown during the past six months, and I recognise the challenges that can bring. We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine. For arrivals under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, the £10,500 per person we provide to councils helps to provide support to individuals and families, including in the minority of cases where someone is left without accommodation.
With the departure of Lord Harrington, who was a Minister in both the Home Office and this Department, will the Minister explain what discussions he has had with the Home Office about how to deal with the potential homelessness of many Ukrainians under the Homes for Ukraine scheme?
I have met the Home Secretary directly since my appointment and I work very closely with the Minister of State, Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Tom Pursglove), who is responsible for immigration. We are closely aligned on all these issues.
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend’s tireless efforts to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in Westminster, and to her successful campaign to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824. My ministerial colleague, the Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Dehenna Davison), and I are keen to continue to work with her to ensure that we get the balance right.
My Department is committed to the delivery of safe accommodation with support for all victims of domestic abuse. That is part of the Government’s overall strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. I would be happy to write to the hon. Lady with more details.
We are working closely with local councils to understand where the pressures are, and actively exploring options to find suitable long-term accommodation for a range of different asylum-seeker cohorts. I would be more than happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss the specific challenges in her area.
On investment zones, can I urge the Secretary of State to consider mixed-use zones that feature housing and pension fund investments similar to what is seen in the Netherlands?
Many families hosted a Ukrainian family nearly six months ago. Those arrangements are coming to an end, and there is a real danger that we are going to see a large number of Ukrainian families homeless this winter. The Government need to do far more than the response of the right hon. Member for Pendle (Andrew Stephenson) to a previous question. Can Ministers tell us what their strategic approach is to prevent us from having Ukrainian families on our streets this Christmas?
The hon. Gentleman makes a powerful point, and we are working across Government to ensure that we have a sustainable process for this. It was remiss of me, in my answer to the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Dame Diana Johnson), not to pay tribute to my predecessor, Lord Harrington, who is in the Gallery today. We all, across the House, owe a debt of gratitude to him for the incredible work he did to support Ukrainian families.
Doncaster Council has put forward three sites that will benefit from investment-zone status, with two in Don valley: Unity at Thorne and Doncaster Sheffield airport. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the merits of each of those proposals?