London — One in 200 people in Britain is now homeless, an increase of 4% in less than a year despite government pledges to tackle the problem, the charity Shelter says. A Shelter report blamed the rise on high rents, cuts to welfare payments and a dearth of affordable housing and said the biggest increases were in major cities including London and Birmingham. “It’s unforgivable that 320,000 people in Britain have been swept up by the housing crisis and now have no place to call home,” said Shelter CEO Polly Neate. “These new figures show that homelessness is having a devastating impact on the lives of people right across the country.” The new figures came days after the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights said government spending cuts in Britain had caused “great misery”. They cover the period to the first quarter of 2018 and include those living in temporary accommodation, hostels or in social care, as well as rough sleepers. Britain’s housing minister said th...
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