Bristol Poverty Action recently received this email from the Campaigns team at CRISIS, the national charity for single homeless people. We decided to share it here as it illustrates the profound importance and severity of the issues which prompted us to hold our recent public hearing in Bristol.
“I emailed you a few months ago to tell you that homelessness was rising. I also emailed you to tell you that more and more people were sleeping on our streets.
“Sadly, I’m emailing again to let you know that yesterday’s statistics show another jump in the number of people without a home.
“In 2011/12 over 50,000 households were accepted by their council as homeless and entitled to accommodation, a rise of 14% on last year. These figures come in the same week the Government announced there were less than 16,000 affordable homes started in 2011-12, down from nearly 50,000 the year before. It is estimated that 230,000 new houses are needed each year to keep up with demand.
“Homelessness is rising, research for Crisis predicts it’s going to rise yet further.
“We know we may sound like a broken record but it’s important that these figures don’t go unnoticed, that’s why we need you to add your voice. Please share the news as widely as possible.
Bristol Poverty Action 