Brent Tops Homelessness League

3.57.06pm GMT Fri 23rd Nov 2007

Sarah is campaigning for more homes for Brent

Brent's Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has uncovered figures showing that the Government are continuing to fail homeless people in Brent.

Between April and June this year 240 households registered as homeless with Brent Council. This is more than any other London borough; 55 more than second placed borough Hackney, and more than ten times the number in lowest placed Richmond.

Brent was the only borough to register more than 200 homeless households. 35% of these were 16-24 year olds, showing a huge problem with homelessness amongst the youngest adults in Brent. The figures may even under represent the number of homeless young people, as many fail to register.

Sarah is calling on the Government to allow local councils to use 'right to buy' money to invest in new housing stock. Sarah also wants to see councils being given the freedom to borrow money to build new homes, just as Housing Associations are.

Local Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East Sarah Teather said:

"Everyone in Brent deserves to have a place to live. It is shocking that, after ten years of a Labour Government, record numbers of people in our borough are being made homeless every single month.

"That so many young people in Brent are homeless is deeply disturbing. Even more worrying, these figures fail to report the 'hidden homeless' - those young people who don't register as homeless but split their time between hostels, friends' sofas and the streets.

"Local Councils need to be given extra powers to deal with this problem. The Government should allow councils both to borrow money and to use 'right to buy' receipts to invest in new homes.

"Brent is an incredibly needy borough with devastating levels of poverty. Gordon Brown came to power promising to build more social housing. He must act now to release the funds, and the land, that some of the poorest young people and families in Brent so urgently needs".

Related Link:

Read Sarah's Parliamentary Question.