THE number of homeless families with children in Thurrock has shot up by six times in the last five years.

Homeless charity Shelter said the number had jumped from eight to 47 between 2010 and 2015.

Peter Davis, chief executive officer of the Eastern Landlords’ Association said: “There’s no one reason why more people are becoming homeless.

“Rent rises in the private sector are probably no higher than in the social sector. So, if homelessness is caused by rent rises, then local councils are just as much to blame.

“Landlords are not evicting tenants because of rent rises, landlords are evicting tenants because they are behind with their rent.

“The real problem is we have a lot more people in this country and we don’t have enough homes – so where do people live?

"Demand is outstripping supply and that’s why rents have been going up.”

Lynn Worrall, Thurrock councillor responsible for housing, said: “These days there is nothing that gives me sleepless nights on a regular basis other than the homelessness situation in Thurrock.

"There are 90 people the council is putting up in temporary accommodation at the moment, and those are the minority facing problems.

“The problem is getting worse and that is because the Government is forcing many people who rent out by cutting their benefits.

“Rents are also considerably higher in London, so people living there are being forced outside the capital. This puts Thurrock’s rents up even further.

"It’s a never ending circle – at least it will be until central government starts making sure people can afford to live in homes.”