HC Deb 08 March 1982 vol 19 cc338-9W
Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent by housing associations on the provision of places for single homeless people since 1974; and how much is due to be spent in the current and next financial years.

Sir George Young

The Housing Corporation's approved development programme for the current year includes a provision of £12 million for housing association hostel schemes; for 1982–83 the figure will be £18 million. Comparable information for earlier years is not available, and no information is available about housing association schemes where local authorities were the funding authority. Expenditure by housing associations on short-life accommodation and cluster flats may also benefit some single homeless people, but this component cannot be separately identified.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many places for the single homeless have been provided by housing associations for each year since 1974; and if he will break the figures down to show the numbers in each region.

Sir George Young

The Housing Corporation has approved housing association hostel schemes providing the following number of bedspaces in England and Wales:

1976–77 396
1977–78 1,521
1978–79 1,107
1979–80 *1,295
* England only.

Information for earlier years and for 1980–81 is not available and no regional breakdown is available. Nor is information available about schemes where local authorities were the funding authority.

Housing associations also house some single homeless people in short life accommodation and cluster flats, but the numbers involved cannot be separately identified.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many beds are provided by (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) other voluntary bodies for the single homeless; and if he will break the figures down by region.

Sir George Young

Information about beds provided for the single homeless by local authorities and other voluntary bodies is not available. On the question of provision by housing associations, I refer the hon. Member to the first of these three replies.