National housing charity Threshold prevented more than 1,100 households from entering homelessness in the second quarter of this year, a new report states.
On Wednesday the charity published its impact report for the second quarter of this year, which showed tenancy termination remains the biggest issue facing the organisation’s clients, with 40 per cent of queries related to this.
In total, 9,400 households were supported by Threshold advisers over the three-month period, including more than 12,000 adults and over 8,000 children.
Threshold advisers completed 11,036 calls, which is down 9 per cent from the previous quarter.
A total of 1,118 households were prevented from entering homelessness, consisting of 1,515 adults and 1,160 children.
John-Mark McCafferty, chief executive of Threshold, said they continued to see private renters contact them with a wide range of issues.
“We hear from our clients via calls – as well as in our recent We Are Generation Rent survey – that affordability is a big issue facing renters. It is clear we need to improve alternative options for renters struggling to pay high rents,” he said.
“A unitary housing system is a more equitable system, which would provide more affordable housing, and one we should strive towards.”
A unitary housing system includes an integrated rental market where social and cost-rental housing is accessible to a larger number of households across a broader range of income levels.
According to Threshold, the increase in social and affordable housing would in turn create competition with the private rental sector, with the potential to make the sector more affordable and secure as a result.
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