Govt: We have turned the tide on homelessness

A new package worth £164 million will provide young homeless people with practical and emotional support, the government has announced.

Communities secretary Ruth Kelly unveiled the measures at the Andy Ludlow homelessness awards, pledging to tackle the causes of homelessness, provide mediation services and training, and end temporary accommodation for 16 and 17-year-olds.

Since 1998, rough sleeping had fallen by 73 per cent, she noted, saying she was personally committed to "the fight against homelessness and the causes of it".

Ms Kelly accepted the need for more social housing, and said the government aimed to build 75,000 new homes between 2005-06 and 2007-08.

With the help of homelessness charities, Ms Kelly said the government had created a "vastly-improved safety net" to protect people from becoming homeless.

However, she acknowledged that with 94,000 households in temporary accommodation there was "much more to do", adding: "We cannot slow down, and we are not going to."