Tenant group claims rising rents to blame for homelessness increase
12:01 AM, 14th January 2026, 3 months ago
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A tenant group and a homelessness charity have claimed that unaffordable private rents and a chronic lack of social housing are forcing more people into homelessness.
The Renters’ Reform Coalition and Crisis warned that increasing numbers of people are being pushed into temporary accommodation or onto the streets as freezing temperatures set in.
Government figures show that nearly a third of households in temporary accommodation, 42,740, are housed outside their local area, an increase of 10% in just one year.
Unaffordable rents put people at risk of homelessness
Re-posting an article from The Independent on X (formerly Twitter) about the lack of affordable housing pushing more people into temporary accommodation and onto the streets, the Renters’ Reform Coalition claimed unaffordable private rents are to blame.
Renters’ Reform Coalition posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Unaffordable rents put people at risk of homelessness.
“Along with a lack of social housing, this means that more people are forced onto the streets in this freezing cold weather.
“The government must address the cost of renting crisis.”
The private sector isn’t affordable
Francesca Albanese, director of policy and social change at Crisis, told The Independent: “We are seeing a massive increase in temporary accommodation and seeing record levels of people accessing them. There isn’t enough social housing, and the private sector isn’t affordable, and that is decades in the making.
“It’s very unsettling for individuals; becoming homeless is very isolating and dangerous. With shelters and emergency accommodation, people come in for a few days when the weather is cold, but it’s very difficult to then engage in that support someone might need, and link them to the right services in the long term.”
She added with the cold weather more and more people are accessing emergency accommodation.
Ms Albanese said: “These kinds of shelter are facing pressures of their own in terms of provision, as we’ve seen rough sleeping going up but we’ve not seen huge increases in funding for emergency accommodation. Emergency provision such as this is vital and lifesaving, and we know people can’t survive when temperatures plummet, and we know it doesn’t cover everybody and there needs to be more of it.”
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Member Since July 2023 - Comments: 71
4:14 AM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
Here is another post highlighting the growing homelessness issue but totally missing the likely true cause.
Homelessness arises when there are insufficient homes. The government have hit people who provide homes with punitive charges and diminished rights such that many don’t want to provide homes anymore.
The matrix that should be measured would show how many PRS homes are now available and whether there appears to be a correlation and decline with government actions causing a reducing rental stock.
Since market forces determine prices, a young child would know prices rise where demand outstrips supply, why doesn’t the government?
Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 776
9:36 AM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
I eagerly await their research into the denomination of the pope.
Seriously though why are we paying for people to state the obvious.
Member Since May 2014 - Comments: 620
10:26 AM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
There is not enough social housing and even though the sales market is stagnating estate agents say that 25% of the property on their books for sale are properties that were previously rented.
Why would landlords sell their property in a market that is flat or falling?
Perhaps this renters reform coalition and crisis might one day figure this out after they have worked out the denomination of the Pope.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3514 - Articles: 5
1:38 PM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
Homelessness comes from a lack of homes (self explanation given the wording).
A lack of anything creates a higher demand – absolutely irrelevant regarding what type of housing it is because there is a shortage of accommodation full stop.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3514 - Articles: 5
1:52 PM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
so why isn’t their push of anger onto the state to provide more affordable housing so people didn’t have to rely on the (optional) use of PRS accommodation?
Funny how socialists refuse to hold other socialists to account.
FACT – when a person refuses to take up the offer of a PRS tenancy EVEN when this RIA and deposit are offered by the council, they are actually making themselves ‘intentionally homeless’?
Where are these stats? The councils have to keep all this info to evidence they have made offers when a housing duty or prevention duty applies….
Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 776
5:01 PM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
Stop believing the pushed agenda – there is no shortage of houses. Estate agents are full of houses for sale and the builders cannot shift houses they have already built – housing associations do not want the ‘affordable’ houses that have been built either.
The issue is a lack of well paid stable jobs due to a tanking economy, but politicians like to pretend that people cannot afford to live is due to a shortage of houses – the truth is too unpalatable.
Member Since March 2018 - Comments: 182
7:10 PM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 14/01/2026 – 17:01
You’re right, an affordable property is out of reach if incomes have disappeared or reduced because of job insecurity and businesses not confident.
Member Since July 2023 - Comments: 71
7:46 PM, 14th January 2026, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Essex at 14/01/2026 – 17:01
That’s a different matter. Houses on the market doesn’t mean empty houses. Just people who can’t sell with many still occupied!
To check for empty rental properties look for houses available for rent and you will see the true picture
The problem would be better evidenced by a graph showing number of RENTAL properties available over time. Whilst it was always the case landlords didn’t keep rental.priperty empty, Some will now prefer to keep empty and off the rental market whilst being sold because the changed regulation is too onerous.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3514 - Articles: 5
9:25 AM, 15th January 2026, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Paul Smith at 14/01/2026 – 19:46
or just empty and not sell at all. Wait.