Numbers of homeless families in Slough are on the rise, according to data released by the government.
Details released by the ministry of housing, communities, and local government shows that Slough Borough Council (SBC) was caring for 77 families and individuals between July and September last year, 58 of which had dependant children.
This is a rise of almost 20 families and individuals compared to the same period the year before, when 57 were recorded as in temporary or emergency accommodation. The most common reason for families losing their accommodation was the termination of a tenancy, which lead to 39 families having to leave. The next most common reason was the homeless person’s family no longer being willing to house them, which lead to 15 families or individuals going into care. The typical Slough applicant was white, female, single, aged between 25 to 44, and caring for two children.
Meanwhile, Windsor and Maidenhead took on no homeless families over the July to September quarter in 2017, while in South Bucks the council took on 29. The year before, Windsor and Maidenhead took on five.
A SBC spokeswoman said: “The need for temporary accommodation in Slough has been rising alarmingly over the last five months.
“In August we placed 69 households in temporary accommodation and we currently have 384 households in all forms of temporary accommodation.
“We don’t know why there has been such a rise in homelessness, it doesn’t appear to be just in Slough, it appears to be across the board.”
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