§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the trend in the number of priority homeless acceptances in England since 1997. [1293]
§ Ms KeebleThe number of households accepted by local housing authorities as unintentionally homeless and in priority need during the 12 months prior to March 2001 was 113,590. That is 2.5 per cent. higher than the number of households accepted during the 12 months prior to March 1997 110,810.
It is greatly to the credit of local housing authorities that they have been able to meet their statutory obligations to help those who are homeless and in most need of accommodation, and they are to be congratulated.
The underlying reason for the increase in acceptances is a shortage of affordable accommodation in some areas, especially London and the south-east. This shortage follows a significant cut in housing resources, when the 122W 1992–97 Government cut total capital investment in housing from £3.9 billion in 1992–93 to planned spending of only £1.5 billion in 1997–98. High property prices in a very buoyant housing market, particularly in these areas, may also have contributed to an increase in homeless acceptances by reducing the availability of low cost affordable accommodation.
The Government have substantially increased the resources available for housing investment to tackle the significant problems they inherited. The housing resources provided for the current year, of around £3.3 billion, are twice the amount made available for 1997–98, and further significant increases are planned for the next two years. As part of this, we have nearly doubled the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme with an additional £872 million aimed at building more affordable social housing. Our target is to provide at least 100,000 new or improved homes for low-cost renting or ownership through the Approved Development Programme and other programmes between April 2001 and March 2004.