NATIONAL HOUSING FEDERATION ESTIMATE OF LEVEL OF HOMELESSNESS

That this House is deeply concerned at research by the National Housing Federation, the main voice of UK housing associations, that changes to housing benefit from April 2011 will result in more than 750,000 people being put at risk of losing their homes, 425,000 of them in London, leading to the highest number of homeless people in Britain since modern records began in 1980; agrees with the comments of Mr David Orr, the National Housing Federation's Chief Executive, that thousands of children will be forced to leave schools as families seek cheaper accommodation, with poorer people ghettoised into poorer neighbourhoods or end up in bed and breakfast accommodation; urges the Government to recognise the importance to British society of having people of varying incomes living near to the centre of cities and towns; and calls on the Government not to proceed with policies which will force low-income families and pensioners to leave their homes and existing communities.