Homeless charity estimate more than 7,000 are homeless in Essex
Research from Shelter shows that close to 20 thousand in the East of England don't have a home to call their own
A national homeless charity has estimated that over 7,000 are sleeping on the streets on Essex- as we build up to Christmas
Research from Shelter shows that close to 20 thousand in the East of England don't have a home to call their own. With this said to be a 16% increase on the last year.
"Being on the streets is dangerous"
Dr Jan Sheldon is from St Martins- a Housing Trust, based in Norwich, in the East of England:
She told us why these figures are so high:
"We know that energy prices are still a huge issue. We know that many are also struggling with their rent or mortgages, as well. It means are having to make very difficult decisions about eating and heating. Times are more difficult than they have been for a very long time"
"Being on the streets is dangerous. People on the streets are 17 times more likely to suffer violence than you or I. The average life-expectancy of somebody on the streets is 47 for a man and 43 for a woman. When you compare to the average life expectancy of 81, it's a huge difference"
"Political will, funding and housing"
"We need sufficient political will, funding and housing. This means social housing- and we know that we need 90 thousand new homes every year, for the next ten years- to end this crisis.
"There is always a possibility that the numbers will go up or go down. In different areas, there's different commissioning approaches from local authorities, and there's different support packages from charities. They all play into what the numbers look like"
Estimated total number of homeless people, in Norfolk:
- Basildon 1,785
- Harlow 637
- Chelmsford 1,088
- Thurrock 863
- Colchester 716
- Castle Point 315
- Southend-on-Sea 635
- Rochford 233
- Tendring 372
- Epping Forest 235
- Maldon 90
- Braintree 142
- Brentwood 65
- Uttlesford 58
Total: 7,234
(Source: Shelter)
What's the Government said on this?
The Government say over £600 million is being given out to councils in England between now and 2025, to help them prevent and tackle homelessness.