Since 2010, there have been 16 housing ministers in Westminster. At Big Issue, we have challenged each one to tell us what measures they were taking to deal with homelessness and fearful spiralling rents, particularly for poorer and younger renters. The answers were not always forthcoming. In summer 2010 there were an estimated 1,250 people rough sleeping in England. In late 2023 this number sat close to 4,000. Last autumn it was calculated that there were 142,490 children in temporary accommodation in England. That this figure has not been a badge of shame in the election campaign is remarkable.
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In 2010, there were 35 food banks in the UK, operated by the Trussell Trust. Such were the small numbers that an explanation of what a food bank was had to be provided each time they were mentioned.
Then, briefly, several years ago, there was a neat comparison drawn to show a changing moment in Britain. It was said that there were around the same number of McDonald’s branches as food banks.
Today, there are 1,439 McDonald’s in the UK and just shy of 2,900 food banks, 1,699 of which are operated by the Trussell Trust. That does not include the number of food banks in schools. The National Governance Association, the body speaking for school governors and trustees in England, say that over a fifth of schools who responded to questions about food banks said they had one.
Last year, the Trussell Trust handed over 3.12 million emergency food parcels.