'Time for empty words has long passed' - Charity leads calls for government action to tackle shocking Black Country homeless figures
A homeless charity has led calls for more government action after figures were released showing a rise in homelessness in parts of the Black Country.
The call for action comes as homeless figures across England hit an all-time high, with 79,840 households having faced homelessness in the first quarter of the year.
Figures show an increase in homelessness in most areas in the Black Country, with Dudley and Wolverhampton being shown to have the highest figures per 100,000 people, although the number of people homeless in Wolverhampton has actually come down.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, a homeless charity, said: "With record numbers of people becoming homeless, the time for empty words on building social homes and overdue promises on ending no-fault evictions has long passed.
"No-fault evictions are fuelling homelessness and throwing thousands of families' lives into turmoil."
Of the 79,840 families that faced eviction in England last year, 6,440 of those were because of a Section 21 "no-fault" eviction, which allows landlords to evict a tenant with just two months' notice, without having to give a reason.
In May, the Government published its Renters (Reform) Bill to ban no-fault evictions and introduce greater protections for renters. However, the bill has failed to make any progress through parliament since.
