Over 150 Lancaster families with children faced homelessness last year

Homeless charity Crisis said the rise in families being forced from their homes across England is "deeply worrying".

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show 159 households with children were owed a prevention duty in Lancaster in 2021-22.

This means the household has been threatened with homelessness and is eligible for local council support.

A further 59 households were owed a relief duty in the year to March, meaning they are already homeless and Lancaster council must take reasonable steps to help them secure accommodation for at least six months.

Nationally, 56,340 households with children were owed a prevention duty in 2021-22 – up by 24% on 45,590 the year before.

Similarly, the number of relief duties owed to households with children rose from 30,080 to 36,960.

The Government pledged in its 2019 manifesto to end homelessness by 2024.

Overall, the number of households owed a prevention duty rose from 119,400 in 2020-21 to 133,450 in 2020-21, while the number of relief duties fell from 149,160 to 144,670.

Kiran Ramchandani, director of policy and external affairs at Crisis, said: "The intense cost of living pressures and a severe lack of affordable housing mean many households with children will be forced into temporary accommodation and we know how damaging a long-term stay can be, especially for children and young people."

Ms Ramchandani urged the Government to increase housing benefits in the autumn budget and set out a clear plan to provide affordable homes.

Ms Ramchandani also highlighted that it is vital for those fleeing domestic abuse cases to have a safe place to call home.

Domestic abuse pushed an increasing number of people towards homelessness, with some 11,330 of the 56,340 households with children owed a relief duty across the country caused by domestic abuse.

This was a rise of 18% from the year before and 36% from 2019-20, before the coronavirus pandemic.

A further 5,730 prevention duties were owed due to domestic abuse in 2021-22.

In Lancaster, eight domestic abuse cases led to prevention duties, while 20 relief duties were owed.

A DLUHC spokesperson said it is giving councils £316 million to "ensure families are not left without a roof over their heads".