Crisis Charity to Become Landlord as UK Housing Shortage Reaches ‘Catastrophic’ Levels
The homelessness charity Crisis will begin acquiring its own housing stock for the first time in its 60-year history, a dramatic step reflecting the deepening crisis in the UK housing market. The organization cites a critical lack of available social housing as the driving force behind the unprecedented move.
Crisis, a leading voice in advocating for the homeless, announced the initiative Monday as a last resort. According to the charity’s chief executive, the situation has deteriorated to a “catastrophic scenario” where conventional avenues for supporting vulnerable individuals are no longer viable. “We don’t want to do this, but if nobody else is going to provide housing, we’ll do it ourselves,” a senior official stated.
The decision marks a notable departure for Crisis, which historically relied on partnerships with local authorities and private landlords to house those experiencing homelessness. However, the charity’s latest research reveals a dramatic surge in the number of people without a secure home. The study found that forms of homelessness in 2024 include sleeping rough, residing in temporary shelters, or being forced into unsuitable accommodations like bed and breakfasts and hostels. The study found 299,100 households experienced acute homelessness,a 21% increase since 2022 and a staggering 45% rise since 2012.
The data also highlighted a concerning trend of increased homelessness among individuals recently discharged from institutions such as hospitals and prisons, rising by 22% in the last year. Evictions linked to the UK’s asylum accommodation system have contributed to the surge, with a 37% increase in homelessness resulting from these evictions.
Despite the grim statistics, the charity’s leadership expressed cautious optimism, noting that “we’ve never had better evidence on what to do about it.” however,they emphasized the urgent need for systemic change. “Nobody needs persuading that we’re in a catastrophic scenario,” the official added. The human cost of the crisis was starkly illustrated by a statistic revealing that the average age of death for a homeless male has fallen from 47 to 44, and the emergence of children living on the streets.
Crisis is already operating its own lettings agency to navigate the private rental market for its clients. The new initiative will focus on providing dedicated social housing,coupled with tailored support services,initially in London and Newcastle. The charity aims to secure at least 1,000 homes in the first phase of the project, leveraging existing “Housing First” teams to provide ongoing support to tenants. The long-term ambition is to expand the program considerably, demonstrating that housing is the fundamental solution to homelessness.
The charity’s move echoes the efforts of Victorian-era philanthropists who established housing associations to address poverty and homelessness in the 19th century. “We’re about 200 yards away here from the first Peabody estate which is the birth of social housing in this country and yet around the corner we’re having to start again,” the official noted, highlighting the cyclical nature of the crisis.
Crisis is urging the government to expedite the delivery of its promised homelessness strategy, outlined in Labor’s manifesto and expected by Christmas. They are also calling for an increase in housing benefit to accurately reflect the current cost of private rents. While the government has pledged £39 billion towards social and affordable housing, with a goal of building 180,000 new homes over the next decade, recent decisions have raised concerns. The new housing secretary, Steve reed, faced criticism last month for reducing affordable housing targets in London from 35% to 20% in an attempt to accelerate housing projects. Crisis is demanding “cast iron guarantees” that social housing construction will proceed at a sufficient scale.
The charity also expressed concern over the increasing financial incentives to exploit vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness. “It’s really worrying to see more and more people have concluded that you can make money out of making people and keeping people homeless,” the official stated. “The cost of temporary accommodation is astronomical but the fact that a lot of that money is going into the hands of people that are effectively exploiting the situation is really a disgrace.”
Ultimately, Crisis believes a fundamental shift in political leadership and policy is required to address the root causes of the crisis. “we need a political leader to grasp all of this,” the official concluded. “The truth of this is that for many years to come we’ll just keep talking about a bigger sized problem unless there’s some fundamental rethinking.”
