Average British house prices have more than doubled in the past two decades, far outstripping wage increases and Britain faces a ticking time bomb of old people sleeping rough, with more than 200 elderly people becoming homeless each month and their numbers set to spiral, local councils said in a report. The councils said the emergence of homelessness among the over-60s reflected the weak state of the economy, with a vulnerable new part of the population joining a homeless community made up mostly of the young. Between April and June this year, more than 600 people aged over 60 were made homeless - more than twice the rate of 2009, said a report by the Local Government Association (LGA).
Unless urgent action is taken, this rate is set to double again by 2025, said Izzi Seccombe, chair of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board. "Traditionally, homelessness is associated with young people and it is a tragic fact that a person suffering homelessness lives to an average age of only 47," said Seccombe. "But we are facing a ticking time bomb in older homelessness, with an alarming rise in the number of older people becoming homeless. While the actual numbers are relatively low, at the current rate, this will spiral in just a few years."
The report said older people experiencing homelessness were also more likely to suffer from mental illness or depression. Councils said they are increasingly encountering older people with complex physical and mental health problems, such as alcohol and gambling problems that can lead to homelessness. While there is an understanding of the link between homelessness and mental health for young people, less is known about how such events as the death of a close relative and breakdown of relationships impact homelessness in later life, it added.
The report, compiled by more than 370 local authorities, said rapidly rising rents and stagnating earnings were responsible for the increase. LGA said the government must confront the under-supply in specialist housing for older people and lift restrictions that prevent councils from borrowing money to build.
Unless urgent action is taken, this rate is set to double again by 2025, said Izzi Seccombe, chair of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board. "Traditionally, homelessness is associated with young people and it is a tragic fact that a person suffering homelessness lives to an average age of only 47," said Seccombe. "But we are facing a ticking time bomb in older homelessness, with an alarming rise in the number of older people becoming homeless. While the actual numbers are relatively low, at the current rate, this will spiral in just a few years."
The report said older people experiencing homelessness were also more likely to suffer from mental illness or depression. Councils said they are increasingly encountering older people with complex physical and mental health problems, such as alcohol and gambling problems that can lead to homelessness. While there is an understanding of the link between homelessness and mental health for young people, less is known about how such events as the death of a close relative and breakdown of relationships impact homelessness in later life, it added.
The report, compiled by more than 370 local authorities, said rapidly rising rents and stagnating earnings were responsible for the increase. LGA said the government must confront the under-supply in specialist housing for older people and lift restrictions that prevent councils from borrowing money to build.
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