A new survey reveals that with the credit crunch creating a new wave of homeless people, more than one in four local authorities (28%) in England do not provide any emergency accommodation to those most likely to end up sleeping on the streets.
In parts of the midlands and south and east of England, single homeless adults, couples without children and those for whom local authorities do not have legal obligation are more likely to face the choice of sleeping rough or travelling to another area to find a roof.
The report, by Homeless Link, the umbrella charity for homelessness organisations, questioned 228 local authorities that do not provide direct access accommodation.
Some 84% were able to "signpost, refer or nominate" to direct access hostels in bordering areas. However, only three areas had formal nomination rights, and most areas did this by "signposting" only, "suggesting that people are often left to make their own arrangements in places away from their home area", says the report. The vast majority (80%) did not feel they do enough for these most vulnerable people.
The results are despite a government policy document, No One Left Out: Communities Ending Rough Sleeping, published last year and stating that "there must be an effective safety net in every area so people can avoid sleeping rough".
Ollie Hilbery, Homeless Link's head of policy analysis, says councils must come up with sensible alternatives or else the commitment to ending rough sleeping by 2012 will not be met. "We are not saying that small rural district councils should set up a hostel - that wouldn't make sense - but there have to be quick reaction services to prevent someone becoming homeless," he says.
He suggests cross-boundary arrangements with neighbouring authorities, cash available for one-off purchasing of hostel beds, or systems to ensure someone faced with sleeping rough can access a rent deposit scheme so they can find private accommodation. "Where it is purely an economic problem that is threatening to put people on the streets, there should be some simple way of solving it so that person doesn't get caught in the cycle of homelessness."
Those most at risk of homelessness were people without a local connection, those over 25 years old, and people with support needs.