More households with children threatened with homelessness in Hastings

More households with children were threatened with homelessness in Hastings 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 206 households with children were owed a prevention duty in Hastings in 2021-22 – up from 179 the year before.

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

A further 128 households were owed a relief duty in the year to March, meaning they are already homeless and Hastings council must take reasonable steps to help the applicant to secure accommodation for at least six months.

Nationally, 56,340 households with children were owed a prevention duty in 2021-22 – up by 24% on 45,590 the year before.

Similarly, the number of relief duties owed to households with children rose from 30,080 to 36,960.

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

Overall, the number of households owed a prevention duty rose from 119,400 in 2020-21 to 133,450 in 2020-21, while the number of relief duties fell from 149,160 to 144,670.

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."