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A Christmas Wish for NE Homeless

18 November 2014

By Lilly

Whilst hundreds of Geordies rush to the streets of Newcastle, pocket-heavy in preparation for the Christmas festivities, 1737 North-East households have been accepted as homeless and in priority of need, as reported by Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity. Following the economic crisis that was announced in the third quarter of 2008, excluding the Second World War, the GDP (Gross domestic product) fell by the largest amount since 1931. As a result, hundreds of families across England will be struggling to make ends meet this Christmas.

By 2014, the word ‘recession’ had become commonplace in the average UK household, and although the UK is officially out of crisis, with a rise of 0.3% GDP last year, the new Xbox is at the bottom of the present list for the estimated 458 16-24 year olds who will be spending Christmas on the streets of North-East England.

A report in to the reason behind this social cataclysm by GOV.UK has shown that throughout England, 30% of all accepted find themselves homeless as a result of the ending of an assured short hold tenancy: an increase from 27% in the same quarter in 2013. Acceptances for households with rent arrears remained at just 3%.

According to GOV.UK, when a household is accepted as homeless, ‘the household will be housed in temporary accommodation arranged by the local authority.’

Although in 2014, 26940 householders approached their local authorities for help with homelessness, the number of acceptances for young people (16-24 year-olds) had decreased from 2013 by 12%.

As temperatures are set to fall in the next week, those that have managed to slip through the net of the UK government will be braving the elements.

The UK’s employment rates are expected to rise by 2015, but as the harsh winter draws on, the future for the estimated 2,414 who will be sleeping rough on Christmas Eve remains uncertain.

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