Campaigning charity Shelter says the loss of a private tenancy remains “the leading trigger of homelessness accounting for more than one in four households found to be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.”

It’s made the comment based on Ministry of Justice data released at the end of last week saying that between April and June this year some 2,916 privately renting households were removed from their homes by bailiffs as a result of a Section 21 eviction.

Shelter says this was the highest for over six years and represented a  31% hike in a year.

And between April and June this year some 8,322 landlords in England started Section 21 eviction court proceedings – up 11% from the same period of 2023. 

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, says: “As we hit yet another devastating record on homelessness, and evictions continue to rise, this government must succeed where previous governments have failed and tackle the housing emergency head on.  

“Without a clear plan to invest in genuinely affordable social homes, thousands more children will be forced to grow up in damaging temporary accommodation, spending months if not years living out of suitcases, crammed into grim bedsits and B&Bs, and unable to put down any roots. 

“The government must urgently establish a cross-department homelessness strategy and scrap no fault evictions if we are to end homelessness. Our Brick-by-Brick report shows how it can ramp up to 90,000 social rent homes a year in this parliament. Social housing would pay for itself within a few years, and in doing so relieve the pressure on private renting, generate new jobs, and create savings for the NHS and benefits bill.” 

Neate’s comments come on the heels of new statutory homelessness figures, which cover the period January to March this year.

They reveal that the number of children who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation with their families in England has rocketed to 151,630 – an increase of 15% in a year, and the highest figure since records began in 2004. 

The number of homeless families living in emergency accommodation such as B&Bs and hostels has reached 8,860 – a rise of 29% in a year. Shelter claims that this type of emergency accommodation is notoriously overcrowded, expensive and unsuitable.  

Overall there are now a record 117,450 homeless households living in temporary accommodation in England – the highest figure ever and up 12% in a year.