§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people over retirement age were made homeless in(a) 1997 and (b) 2001 to date; and what proposals the Government have to counter this problem. [15199]
§ Ms KeebleHomeless acceptances represent households in need who are helped by local authorities into accommodation. Information reported to the Department by local authorities for total acceptances and those where a member of the household is identified as vulnerable due to old age are as follows:
1997 2000 Total 102,410 111,550 Of which vulnerable due to old age 4,220 4,050 Percentage 4 4 The Government have introduced the Homelessness Bill whose provisions will
require housing authorities to take a more strategic, multi-agency approach to the prevention of homelessness and the re-housing of homeless households;ensure that everyone accepted by housing authorities as unintentionally homeless and in priority need must be provided with suitable accommodation until they obtain a settled housing solution; andallow housing authorities greater flexibility to assist non-priority homeless households, principally through a new power for housing authorities to secure accommodation for such households where they have the scope to do so.To support these provisions, investment in new affordable housing through the Housing Corporation will rise to over £1.2 billion by 2003–04—about double the current level.
Additionally, the Government have been consulting on their overall approach to tackling homelessness and are considering a number of constructive suggestions.