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“In order to deliver more housing of a decent standard, councils need the right powers, skills, resources and funding to act and want to work with government and the development and housebuilding industry.”

Over the past five years, frozen Local Housing Allowance rates have left councils to pick up more than £700 million in costs that they are unable to claim back from government, threatening their financial viability and hampering efforts to reduce homelessness.

"As these figures show, more and more people are turning to their local council for support and councils are having to resort to costly temporary accommodation to house people."

Councils stand ready to work with the Government to increase affordable housing.

New analysis into the Housing Revenue Account for the LGA, delivered in partnership with the NFA and ARCH, and delivered by Savills, has found that the future of council housing finances hangs in the balance as increasing pressures push budgets to the brink.

Councils have a key part to play to improve housebuilding outcomes, but must be given the tools and resources needed to do so.

The temporary accommodation subsidy gap, currently stuck at 2011 levels, needs to be urgently addressed in the Autumn Budget.

Councils are committed to addressing the challenges of unfit housing and want their residents to have the security of a safe and well-maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed.

"We’re pleased to see the inclusion of a ban on Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions which are the primary cause of people presenting to councils as homeless. This is something the LGA has long-called for."

A new 'snapshot' survey by the LGA reveals that councils are calling for the extension of the 'move-on' period, the time between an asylum seeker receiving a decision on their application and having to leave Home Office funded accommodation, to ease the financial impact on Local Authorities.