A former trustee of Shelter has called on the charity to follow Crisis in directly providing accommodation for homeless people, amid a severe shortage of social housing. Jon Fitzmaurice argued that Shelter's considerable resources could be used to counteract the lack of available housing, rather than focusing solely on advice and campaigning.
His comments come after Crisis announced it would become a landlord to address the 'catastrophic' housing situation in the UK. Fitzmaurice noted that many people mistakenly believe Shelter already houses homeless people, but the charity withdrew from direct provision in the 1980s.
With over 900 staff and an income of £80 million, Shelter currently provides housing advice and conducts research and campaigning. Fitzmaurice suggested that revisiting its roots and directly funding housing could be a more effective response to the crisis.
