The Home Office (HO) is leaving British people homeless by outbidding local councils for accommodation. HO contractors are bidding for accommodation for asylum seekers, while the number of British people having to stay in temporary accommodation is near record levels. Asked on three separate occasions why its contractor paid more than councils can afford, the HO refused to comment. The problem is most acute in London, where 166,000 people are in temporary lodgings - more than the population of Oxford. There was no suggestion that the HO or asylum-seekers created the problem, but it is contributing to homelessness. The councils are spending £52m a month on temporary accommodation and will not outbid each other, because they want to protect taxpayers. There needs to be the same partnership with the HO. Pray for housebuilders to invest in building more affordable housing.

Prince William's Homewards project is a campaign for affordable housing as families face rising mortgage and rent costs, but there are some big challenges to face. He has been personally engaged in homelessness for many years as an active patron of the charities Centrepoint and The Passage. He now wants to turn words into action, with a more interventionist plan to create extra housing and measurably cut homelessness over the next five years. But this means getting involved in areas normally reserved for elected politicians, and he may face questions about getting involved in political issues. Any involvement in addressing a shortage of affordable housing is inescapably political, not least when there is so much anxiety about rising rents and mortgage costs. But being accused of being a bit too political might not actually be a bad thing, according to royal author Prof Pauline Maclaran, particularly for a younger generation.

After continued work by the Salvation Army, a campaign to reduce the stigma around deaths caused by alcohol and drugs has gained the support of MSPs in Scotland. ‘See Beyond - See the Lives - Scotland’ hopes to use testimonies of people affected by deaths caused by addiction to shatter myths about substance abuse, and encourage more compassion. At a Holyrood reception MSPs Miles Briggs and Monica Lennon shared their experiences of losing their fathers to alcohol addiction. Their letters are included with fourteen others who have written to their loved ones on the campaign's website. In her letter, Monica, who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with her father in Glasgow as a teenager, writes: ‘A whole lot of life happens when you are waiting for rock bottom. Part of me always believed that you would fall so hard that recovery would follow. There were times it was too difficult to be around.’

The Children's Society reports that parents spend on average £422 a year on secondary and £287 on primary uniforms, despite government rules meant to lower the costs. Schools requiring parents to buy costlier branded items were partly to blame. One mum said, ‘Constantly replacing damaged clothing makes it even more expensive’. Under changes to the Education Act last year, schools should be helping cut costs by promoting cheaper second-hand uniform options or removing unnecessary branded items from uniform lists. But pupils still must have an average of three branded uniform items. Almost 1/3rd of secondary school pupils must own four to five branded items, and 45% of parents said school uniform policies had still not been updated. Pray for more clothing banks like Reloved who provide pre-worn uniforms free to families struggling with costs. In 11 months it has supported 3,000 families, and demand is rising as the cost of living soars.