§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards provision of accommodation for the single homeless; if he will estimate the number of hostel and lodging places available; and if he is satisfied as to the number and quality of such accommodation.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe main approach must be in improving the availability of accommodation. We have, since coming into office, taken a number of initiatives, some designed to help particular groups of single people, and in our consultative document on Housing Policy (Cmnd. 6851) we noted a number of measures which should help to increase the supply of and access to housing for single people generally and made clear that, subject to the availability of resources, authorities should ensure that adequate accommodation for single people is included in their general investment provision for small houses.
We have taken important steps to encourage further provisions of hostels, notably by the provision of grant and subsidy under the Housing Act 1974. I refer to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave on 14th December to my hon. Friend the Member for Paddington (Mr. Latham).—[Vol. 941, c. 281.]
411WWe are particularly concerned about the housing needs of the most vulnerable homeless people. Their housing needs are now clearly brought within the responsibility of housing authorities, who are obliged by the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 to provide advice and assistance, and to secure that accommodation is available to those, whether single or not, who have a priority need as set out in Section 3 of the Act. We have asked that authorities extend the fullest possible assistance, within available resources, to all homeless people whether or not authorities are required by the Act to secure accommodation for them, and we have specifically in the code asked that authorities have particular regard to the needs of the most vulnerable, such as battered women at risk of further violence and homeless young people at risk of sexual and financial exploitation.
We have, in addition, commissioned two research projects to improve our knowledge of homelessness among single people.
The OPCS survey, published in 1972, showed that there were about 31,000 bed spaces in hostels and lodging houses listed by the Supplementary Benefits Commission, a list which is likely to include all the hostels used by single homeless people. This represents a decline of 17 per cent. from 1965. Such evidence as there is indicates that the number continues to decline, particularly in the private sector. I hope the measures we have taken will improve the position.
The OPCS study also showed that the quality of accommodation in many of these hostels and lodging houses left much to be desired. Housing subsidy and housing association grant are available for the renovation of hostels by local authorities and housing associations. respectively.