Helen Morgan raises rural homelessness in Autumn Statement debate

Helen Morgan MP has spoken in the Autumn Statement debate to raise several issues impacting her North Shropshire constituency, including the lack of affordable housing in rural areas and rising homelessness in Shropshire.

The MP welcomed the lifting of the freeze on the local housing allowance as a way to combat rural homelessness and unmet need in rural areas, but added that that the lack of provision for temporary accommodation would impact cash-strapped council budgets.

The MP also welcomed the rise in the National Living Wage however raised concerns over the ‘unfunded’ nature of the policy, which could hit the finances of social care providers and across the health service.

Helen Morgan MP told the House, “In my constituency alone, the number of households living in temporary accommodation has more than doubled since 2018, placing yet more strain on council budgets.

“Councils of all political parties have recently written an open letter to the Chancellor to explain the unprecedented demand for temporary accommodation and the astronomical cost associated with this.

“They need urgent clarification that the housing allowance will not be frozen again in the future and that they will be subsidised to manage this difficult problem.”