Experts call for rent controls and use of vacant housing stock to ease housing crisis

Rent controls and use of vacant housing stock — including refitted hotels — should be considered to ease the looming homelessness crisis, experts have claimed.

A conference hosted by Barnardos yesterday heard that “a new layer” of families are now facing the threat of homelessness because of a shortage of suitable housing stock, especially in large urban areas, married to rising rental rates.

The additional problem of families in the throes of house repossession has added to a sense of crisis, with Barnardos claiming children in affected families were now living in emergency accommodation, sometimes sharing facilities with strangers and occasionally witnessing violent behaviour.