Middle East conflict could drive up homelessness, housing minister warns
America’s war with Iran could drive more people into homelessness in the UK as figures continue to reach record numbers, a senior Labor Secretary has warned.
To talk IndependentHomelessness Minister Alison McGovern admitted she was “concerned” about rising costs of living as a result of the conflict, as rising oil prices threaten housing costs.
Brent crude rose back above $110 a barrel on Friday after Iran warned that the Strait of Hormuz was “closed” and passage through the waterway would face “drastic measures.”
The waterway provides the only passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, making it a crucial point for the oil industry. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s gas and oil is transported through the strait, and Iran’s ongoing threats are causing great damage to global trade.
Fuel prices in the UK have already begun to rise amid conflict; Experts warn that energy bills and even food costs may show the same trend in the summer months.
Ms McGovern said: “I’m concerned about the cost of living pressures coming from the Middle East and that will of course impact on our ability to prevent homelessness because the biggest cause of homelessness in this country is people not having enough income for existing properties.”
“We are in a better position than we could have been because of two things,” he added.
“The decisions that Chancellor Rachel Reeves has taken to stabilize our economy and give us a better chance of coping with this situation than we would have had if we had been in Liz Truss’s explosive slump.
“As we continue to invest in renewable energy, we are in a better position. I think this crisis is showing us what it means to have that independence.” [and] “It is the right strategy to ensure the security of our energy by creating these renewable resources.”
Homelessness in the UK continues to reach record levels, according to the latest official statistics; Last September, 4,763 people were sleeping in difficult conditions and 134,760 households were in temporary accommodation. This includes 175,990 children and approximately 350,000 people in total.
Sarah Elliott, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Families who have been in a cost-of-living crisis for years are already on the edge. With housing swallowing up such a huge share of incomes, any rise in costs could push people out of their homes and into homelessness.
“Every day we hear from families who are forced to make the impossible choice between heating their homes and paying their rent. No one should have to skimp on basic needs because they paid too much to keep their home.
“To tackle the affordability crisis, the government needs to unwind the housing benefit freeze and rein in eye-watering tenancy rent rises. But there is only one permanent solution to the housing emergency: a new generation of truly affordable social homes, with rents pegged to local incomes.”
Labor has pledged to build 1.5 million homes by 2029 and 180,000 social homes by 2036 to improve affordability and tackle homelessness. But experts have warned that the government is not on track to meet its main target, with analysis in December revealing around 500,000 homes would be shortchanged.
Asked about her government’s progress, Ms McGovern said: Independent: “1.5 million homes. That’s a challenge, isn’t it? It’s a tough number.”
“But what’s the alternative? You say OK, because it’s hard, we’d better not have a target. The problem here is that we know that getting rid of the housing targets means not building any houses at all.”
“So I don’t think the right thing to do would be to continue the policy of not having a residential building target. And I think we knew it would escalate, there might be a slower start, but the planning commissions are coming in now.”
