Slough’s Housing Crisis Revealed: Highest Homelessness Rate Outside London

Newly released data has revealed the severity of the housing crisis impacting a Berkshire borough. Slough records the highest rate of homelessness among all boroughs outside of London, according to figures provided by Shelter. Mandy Maguire, head of day services at the homelessness charity Slough Homeless Our Concern (SHOC), stated that these figures stem from a combination of factors, including elevated rents and a scarcity of social housing. She asserted that “the main stability in your life is your home” and described the statistics as “heart-breaking”. The figures indicate that one in 51 individuals in Slough is homeless, a count that includes those sleeping rough and individuals residing in temporary accommodation, positioning the borough 13th nationally. Ms Maguire remarked, “Slough as a borough is very similar to a London borough and very different from its leafy Berkshire neighbours.” She added, “Slough’s rents are through the roof, there’s no affordable housing in Slough, there’s very little social housing in Slough, so people are stuck.” Charlie Berry, public affairs officer for Shelter, observed “a huge explosion” of homelessness currently, largely attributable to a “dire shortage of truly affordable homes.” She further commented, “We’re really seeing record numbers of all forms of homelessness.” She also pointed out that the freezing of housing benefits and high private rents were contributing to the problem. Ms Maguire highlighted the need for people to have a stable home to establish their lives, a point she considered particularly relevant at this time of year. She explained, “[You’re] putting your decorations up and presents under a tree and if you find yourself in temporary accommodation, quite often you’re away from your family and maybe in accommodation that doesn’t lend itself to having decorations up and having a really good Christmas with your family.” A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities described the figures as “shocking” and indicative of “the devastating reality of the homelessness crisis which we have inherited.” They confirmed that the government has committed £1bn in funding to support homelessness services and pledged to construct “the social and affordable homes we need.” A spokesperson for Slough Borough Council reported experiencing “exceptional pressures” on its housing services, intensified by recent strains on the private rental market. They additionally noted a reduction in the number of available homes due to other councils placing homeless families into Slough. According to the figures, the five areas with the highest rates of homelessness in London were: The five areas with the highest rates of homelessness outside of London were: You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.