More than 600 households have been declared homeless in just three months by councils in south-east London and north Kent.

Vulnerable people and young families could be spending this Christmas in temporary accommodation as a result of their plight.

The latest statistics, from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), show how many applicants were declared unintentionally homeless by local authorities between July 1 and September 30 this year.

Housing officers classify someone as unintentionally homeless if they believe they are without a place to live or are threatened with homelessness.

The applicant also has to be in priority need, such as having a family. The mother or father may have been evicted after being made redundant, or had their benefits cut.

Those determined to be unintentionally homeless join the waiting list for a council house, while living in temporary accommodation provided by the local authority. Some stay with friends and family.

This is the scene across our area (these figures do not include rough sleepers):

Bexley

Of the 138 cases, 115 were placed in temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future. This could mean spending Christmas in a cramped hostel or bed and breakfast, potentially outside the area.

Of that number, 106 applicants have at least one dependent child - while 29 have three children.

Worryingly, pregnant women make up six of Bexley's homeless, and the figures show five per cent suffer from mental health issues.

A further 11 have physical disabilities.

The data also revealed that five applicants had to leave their homes due to violent partners.

Overall the homelessness figures in Bexley show a 15 per cent rise on the same period in 2016 and a one per cent increase on the third quarter of 2014.

The local authority dealt with 191 decisions over the period and decided that 53 applicants were either not homeless, not priority cases or were intentionally homeless.

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Bromley

Of the 150 declared unintentionally homeless, 116 were placed in temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future.

Of these, 88 applicants have at least one dependent child - while 15 have three children.

Pregnant women make up 11 of Bromley's homeless, and the figures show 17 per cent suffer from mental health issues. A further seven have physical disabilities.

Twenty applicants had to leave their homes due to violent partners.

Overall the homelessness figures in Bromley show a 39 per cent fall on the same period in 2016, but a 163 per cent increase on the third quarter of 2014.

The local authority dealt with 251 decisions and rejected 101 applicants.

Dartford

Of 31 cases, five were placed in temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future.

There were 24 applicants with at least one dependent child - while six have three children.

Eight applicants had to leave their homes due to violent partners.

Overall the homelessness figures in Dartford show a 19 per cent rise on the same period in 2016, but a 21 per cent decrease on the third quarter of 2014.

Dartford Council dealt with 68 decisions and rejected 37 applicants.

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Greenwich

Of the 141, 114 were placed in temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future.

Some 123 applicants have at least one dependent child - while 20 have three children.

Six of Greenwich's homeless were pregnant women, and the figures show four per cent have physical disabilities.

Seven applicants had to leave their homes due to violent partners.

Overall the homelessness figures in Greenwich show a 21 per cent rise on the same period in 2016, and a 60 per cent increase on the third quarter of 2014.

The local authority dealt with 215 decisions in the three months and decided 74 applicants did not meet the criteria.

Lewisham

Some 167 were declared unintentionally homeless, but none were placed in temporary accommodation for the foreseeable future.

Of that number, 136 applicants have at least one dependent child - while 36 have three children.

Pregnant women make up 14 of Lewisham's homeless, and the figures show five per cent have physical disabilities.

Seven applicants had to leave their homes due to violent partners.

Overall the homelessness figures in Lewisham show a 23 per cent fall on the same period in 2016, and a 25 per cent decrease on the third quarter of 2014.

The local authority dealt with 290 decisions over the period and rejected 123 applicants.

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Across England local authorities accepted 15,290 households as being statutorily homeless between July and September, up six per cent from the previous quarter and up two per cent on the same quarter of last year.

One factor in the increase was the Grenfell Tower fire in west London, where 71 people died, and 214 homeless applications were accepted.

The number of households in the country living in temporary accommodation also rose, increasing by six per cent on the same date last year and up 65 per cent on a low point of 48,010 on December 31, 2010.

Earlier this week MPs said homelessness in England was "a national crisis" and the government's approach to tackling the problem has been an "abject failure".

The public accounts committee report said the DCLG's attitude to reducing homelessness has been "unacceptably complacent", with limited action that has lacked urgency.

Meg Hillier, who chairs the committee, said: "The latest official figures hammer home the shameful state of homelessness in England and the abject failure of the government's approach to addressing the misery suffered by many thousands of families and individuals.

"As we approach Christmas there are thousands of children in temporary accommodation a salutary reminder of the human cost of policy failure.

"The government must do more to understand and measure the real-world costs and causes of homelessness and put in place the joined-up strategy that is so desperately needed."

A DCLG spokesman said: "We are providing over £1 billion up to 2020 to reduce all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping and we are bringing in the Homelessness Reduction Act, which is the most ambitious reform in decades, to ensure people get support sooner."