One Londoner is forced into homelessness every 11 minutes, more single adults are being driven into urgent housing situations and rough sleeping continues to rise significantly, according to new analysis published by Single Homeless Project today.

Single Homeless Project is calling for action on two major economic drivers of homelessness in our capital city – a disproportionately low benefit cap in comparison to London’s sky-high rents and an incentives scheme that wastes public money and creates a climate for higher eviction rates.

By combining Statutory Homeless data from local authorities and the London-only CHAIN figures on rough sleeping levels for the first time, the statistics show a more accurate picture of homelessness in the city.

• One Londoner is forced into homelessness every 11 minutes.
• Single adults with no dependents are the group most impacted by urgent homelessness, making up nearly half of people forced into homelessness. One single person is forced into homelessness every 20 minutes (up 36% from three years ago).
• Someone is made street homeless in London every 90 mins (up 44% from three years ago).

Low benefit levels in comparison to private sector rentals are contributing to the high number of Londoners in rent arrears. These unfair benefit levels, coupled with a huge demand for private rented accommodation due to a lack of affordable homes, mean that councils and charities have to resort to paying landlords millions of pounds in financial incentives just to accept people experiencing homelessness as paying tenants. This is wasting public money and creating a climate for higher eviction rates where landlords are effectively motivated to either issue short term tenancies or end longer-term ones early in order to claim the next cash incentive for a subsequent tenant.

Liz Rutherfoord, Chief Executive at Single Homeless Project said:

“Londoners are being set up to fail by unrealistic housing benefit levels and a ludicrous incentive scheme that creates a climate for high levels of evictions from private rented accommodation. Single adults are being left to struggle all on their own with no statutory rights to be housed and insufficient benefits to meet the cost of living in London. We need to build the right environment for everyone in our city to thrive, not waste public money on costly, short-term solutions that benefit only a few.

Londoners are being set up to fail by unrealistic housing benefit levels and a ludicrous incentive scheme that creates a climate for high levels of evictions from private rented accommodation.

“We know from our services across London that when you focus efforts on long-term support, everyone wins. Our tried and tested tenancy sustainment model means that landlords gain the financial stability that long-term tenants bring, renters benefit from the support and security they need, and councils can be reassured that public money is spent on a long-term solution that reduces homelessness. Homelessness doesn’t define you. It is an experience, not a forever and it can be ended with the right solutions.”

 Single Homeless Project is calling on the UK Government to:

• Review of the benefit cap so that it is proportional to London’s rent levels.
• Ban the practice of paying incentives to private sector landlords for accepting tenants experiencing homelessness.
• Reinvest the public money spent on incentives in tenancy sustainment programmes, including debt and money management advice, mental health support and mediation between landlord and tenant when needed.

When you get in debt and there's nowhere to turn to, all sorts of things go through your head. I was in thousands of pounds of arrears and facing eviction

After falling into debt and facing eviction, Scott began working with our Lambeth community service in late 2019, which supports Londoners to maintain their tenancy. 

He recently spoke to a podcast about the support he received from Single Homeless Project to stop him pushed into homelessness. He credits the essential role Rio, his Support Worker, played in helping him put his life back together. 

Listen to the podcast in full here and read Scott’s story. 

The table below shows the impact of the unfair benefit cap on Londoners compared to UK’s next two biggest cities. Due to the benefit cap, only four of London’s thirteen areas would see residents able to use their full Universal Credit allowance for bills and living expenses. Londoners in the remaining areas would have to use their Universal Credit to pay rent and in four of the areas, would be left with just £3.72 to live on.

Areas	Maximum monthly allowance for 1 bed flat (LHA)	Standard Universal Credit personal allowance (to cover all bills and living expenses)	Overall benefit cap	Money actually left over for all bills and living expenses
Central London	£1,280.46	£324.84	£1,284.18	£3.72
Inner East London	£1,280.46	£324.84	£1,284.18	£3.72
Inner North London	£1,280.46	£324.84	£1,284.18	£3.72
Inner South East London	£1,146.86	£324.84	£1,284.18	£137.32
Inner South West London	£1,280.46	£324.84	£1,284.18	£3.72
Inner West London	£1,204.71	£324.84	£1,284.18	£79.47
Outer East London	£1,047.11	£324.84	£1,284.18	£237.07
Outer North East London	£897.52	£324.84	£1,284.18	£324.84*
Outer North London	£1,067.04	£324.84	£1,284.18	£217.14
Outer South East London	£892.54	£324.84	£1,284.18	£324.84*
Outer South London	£872.60	£324.84	£1,284.18	£324.84*
Outer South West London	£1,047.11	£324.84	£1,284.18	£237.07
Outer West London	£922.48	£324.84	£1,284.18	£324.84*
Central Greater Manchester	£598.35	£324.84	£1,116.66	£324.84*
Birmingham	£523.55	£324.84	£1,116.66	£324.84*

* Capped at Universal Credit Personal allowance rate

This Christmas, Single Homeless Project is helping hundreds of Londoners experiencing homelessness get the support they deserve to get back on their feet and a place to call home for good. 

Click here to donate to our Christmas appeal