Homeless Statistics

·       1.4 million children in England live in bad housing.

·       In 2008/2009, 654,000 households in England were overcrowded.

·       61,000 households (excluding the intentionally homeless) in England were officially recognised as newly homeless by their local authorities in 2010.

·       In 2009 the number of repossessions rose to 48,000 from 25,900 in 2007, and it is predicted that repossessions will remain high in the coming years.

·       The most common reason for becoming homeless is loss of accommodation provided by relatives or friends (a third of those deemed 'in priority need'), with a further fifth being due to relationship breakdown.

·       7.4 million homes in England fail to meet the Government's Decent Homes Standard.

·       In 2009/10, more than 62,000 households were found to be homeless by local authorities.

·       At the end of September 2010, 49,000 households were living in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities. Just over 38,000 of these households had dependent children.

·       The number of newly homeless households has fallen sharply each year since 2003 and the 2010 figure of 61,000 households is only a third of the 2003 number (202,000).

·       Just over half of the households officially recognised as newly homeless do not contain dependent children. The distinction between with, and without children, is important because many of the latter do not qualify for accommodation (i.e. they are considered 'not to be in priority need').

Touching the Void Homework

In the extract from “touching the void” the writer does an excellent job of creating tension, one way that he does this is getting across the way he feels in the opening paragraph, he does this in many ways, such as “an awful weariness washed through me, and with it a fervent hope that this endless hanging would soon be over.” this causes tension through alliteration and makes the reader think that he has given up all hope and doesn’t care what happens to him. This is especially shown with his use of the word fervent meaning “Having or showing great emotion or zeal” witch is well chosen and direct language.

Another way that the writer creates tension is by sharing his thoughts and fears with the reader he does this in a multitude of ways one of which is by using similes as time reminders this is shown when he thinks “Wire tight it told me the truth better than any phone call” this is effective because it reminds the reader that he could fall any minute but makes it that you can relate to it.

But in my opinion the best build-up of tension was the way the passage ends it leaves you wanting to know more and shocks you at how sudden it is the way the writer does this is by varying the length of the sentences for example “the stars went out, and I fell. Like something come alive, the rope lashed violently against my face and I fell silently, endlessly into nothingness, as if dreaming of falling.” The first part was short but the second was long.