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• Thirteen hundred flood-hit families returned home in June

Thirteen hundred flood-hit families returned home in June

Floods Recovery Minister John Healey today announced that the number of flood-hit families still out of their homes has fallen by a quarter in the last month and the number living in caravans has halved.

The numbers not back home are falling faster and faster each month. This month's big drop means around 3,400 households are either living in temporary accommodation, in caravans or the top floor of their homes - down from 5,659 at the end of April and 4,716 at the end of May.

In the same period those living in caravans has been cut by almost half to around 570 households - down from 1,429 in April and 1,094 in May.

The number of council and housing association tenants still not back home is down by 100 to around 70 families.

Initially 48,000 homes were affected by the last summer's floods. So despite the much wider scale flooding last summer figures compare well with the 2005 floods in Carlisle where 1,925 homes and businesses were affected with one in ten displaced households still not back after 18 months.

Mr Healey praised the sustained efforts by councils, housing associations, insurers and Government to get people back home but made clear he will continue to work with everyone involved to ensure this pace of progress continues.

In particular the Minister highlighted efforts in Hull, East Riding, Tewkesbury, Doncaster and Wychavon which have seen the largest number of families return home in the last month.

• In East Riding just under 400 families have returned home in the last month - up to 200 of these having been living in caravans.
• In Hull around 250 families have returned - most of whom were living in caravans.
• In Tewkesbury over 100 families have returned home - almost half of whom were living in caravans.
• In Wychavon almost 100 families have returned home and it is estimated that all those who were in caravans are now back.
• In Doncaster almost 100 families have returned home.

To date Government has provided a comprehensive package of around £90million to support flood-hit communities - with further funding to be announced later this week.

John Healey said:

"The number of flood-hit families still out of their homes, living in  temporary accommodation, caravans or the top floor of their homes  has fallen by a quarter in the last month and the numbers in caravans  have halved.

"This shows that thanks to sustained efforts of councils, housing  associations, insurers and Government the numbers of those still not  back home are falling faster and faster. Councils and housing  associations have made particularly good progress getting their tenants  home - 100 families have gone back in the last month.

"This weekend marks one year on from the floods that hit  Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and many other parts of the country. Over the year so much has been achieved by so many people. But for those  still not back in their homes my message is clear - you have not been  forgotten and you are not alone. I will continue to work with councils  and insurers for as long as it takes so they continue to pull out the  stops to get you home as quickly as possible."

Notes to editors

1. Information provided by local authorities setting out the total number of households still not fully back in their homes in each area as of 30 June 2008 is below. This includes the number of households in each area waiting to return to local authority or other social housing and those living wholly or partially in caravans.

• Table showing number of households still not fully back in their homes (PDF, 70 kb)

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