More households with children threatened with homelessness in Dacorum

More households with children were threatened with homelessness in Dacorum last year, new figures show.

Homeless charity Crisis said the rise in families being forced from their homes across England is "deeply worrying".

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show 154 households with children were owed a prevention duty in Dacorum in 2021-22 – up from 144 the year before.

This means the household has been threatened with homelessness and is eligible for local council support.

A further 70 households were owed a relief duty in the year to March, meaning they are already homeless and Dacorum council must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to secure accommodation for at least six months.

The Government pledged in its 2019 manifesto to end homelessness by 2024.

Kiran Ramchandani, director of policy and external affairs at Crisis, said: "The intense cost of living pressures and a severe lack of affordable housing mean many households with children will be forced into temporary accommodation and we know how damaging a long-term stay can be, especially for children and young people."

Ms Ramchandani urged the Government to increase housing benefits in the autumn budget and set out a clear plan to provide affordable homes.

"Only this action can protect thousands more families from homelessness in the coming months," she added.

Ms Ramchandani also highlighted that it is vital for those fleeing domestic abuse cases to have a safe place to call home.

Domestic abuse pushed an increasing number of people towards homelessness, with some 11,330 of the 56,340 households with children owed a relief duty across the country caused by domestic abuse.

This was a rise of 18% from the year before and 36% from 2019-20, before the coronavirus pandemic.

A further 5,730 prevention duties were owed due to domestic abuse in 2021-22.

In Dacorum, 19 domestic abuse cases led to prevention duties, while 29 relief duties were owed.

A DLUHC spokesperson said it is giving councils £316 million to "ensure families are not left without a roof over their heads".

"Over half a million households have been prevented from becoming homeless or supported into settled accommodation since 2018 through the Homelessness Reduction Act," they added.