Isle of Man homelessness service demand 'more than expected'
Homelessness service demand 'more than expected'
11 minutes ago
Share
Save
Alex Blake
BBC News, Isle of Man
Share
Save
PA Media
The Housing and Communities Board facilitates emergency accommodation for Manx residents
There has been "higher demand than anticipated" for emergency accommodation for homeless Isle of Man residents so far in 2025, the chairman of a government body has said.
The Housing and Communities Board has facilitated 2,955 bed spaces to people from January to March, at a cost of £187,990.
The board facilities emergency accommodation predominantly through local hotels and B&Bs, as part of an overarching strategy to tackle homelessness.
Chairman David Ashford said there had been "much more demand than we expected", and was "not sustainable in the long term".
Ashford said a team of social workers in Manx Care had now been appointed to run the service, who started at the beginning of April.
The island's only night shelter, run by charity Graih, closed in 2022.
'Not sustainable'
Ashford said the figure included a number of people helped who would be returning on more than one occasion, as well as a "churn" of new people going through the process.
Only Isle of Man residents are able to access the services provided.
While Ashford said the board was providing a "very valuable service, putting roofs over people's heads", the costs meant it was "not sustainable in the long term" and "bespoke" facilities were needed.
Demand for the services had shown "a need that was not necessarily visible until now".
The board was "looking at developing a more sustainable emergency accommodation service" so they were not "reliant on hotels and B&Bs", he said.
Rob Callister MHK said it came down to "bricks and mortar" and bigger investment was needed.
There were also concerns raised by MHKs about how the service would meet demand during the TT festival fortnight, which begins on 26 May.
Ashford said there was ongoing work to find "alternative accommodation" to deal with the demand during the island's busiest time of year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Exact cost of leaving a fan on all night as 29C temps to hit UK
Roisin Chapman, Lifestyle Reporter Published: Invalid Date, SUMMER is well and truly here and if you're trying to keep your home cool, here's everything you need to know about running a fan. With temperatures reaching a sweltering 29C heading into the weekend, now is the time to get your cooling gadgets out. 3 3 However, if you're planning on using a fan, you may want to know how much the appliance costs to run. While household bills are generally lower during the summer with no need for heating, it can still be a costly time of year. If you want to avoid skyrocketing energy bills, try taking measures to save money on your gas and electricity. The best way to do this is by learning how much your appliances cost to run. How much energy does a fan use? You can work out how much electricity your fan is using by finding out its "wattage". Then turn that wattage into kilowatt hours by finding out the total output of your appliance. Do this by dividing the kilowatt hours by 1,000 - this gives your output per hour. For example, if your fan has 70 watts output on its high setting, divide 70 by 1000 to get 0.07. Next, you'll need to multiply this number by the number of hours you've used the fan. So if you're using it for 12 hours at a time, then 0.07kW x 12 hours will mean 0.84kW output. Families can get FREE washing machines, fridges and kids' beds or £200 payments this summer – and you can apply now How much does it cost to leave a fan on all night? Once you have established your kilowatt output, you can multiply it by the amount you are charged for 1 kW of electricity. Since there is no standard price for electricity cost per kWh in the UK, you'll need to look at your energy bill to figure it out. The most recent Ofgem price cap saw suppliers charge those on the standard variable tariff up to 27.03p per kWh for electricity. So you'd take your 0.84kW and times it by 27.03p to get 22.71p. The equation is: cost = power (kilowatt) × time (hour) × cost of 1 kWh (pence). How to keep cool in a heatwave Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot, there are health risks. Here are three ways to keep cool according to the NHS... Keep out of the heat if you can. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter. Cool yourself down. Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes. Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep. That means if your fan costs 22.71p to run for that amount of time, having it on for a full week will add up to £1.59. And if you repeat this across a month of 4.5 weeks, the cost would be £7.15. Costs will vary depending on your fan type, how long you're using it, what setting it's on, and how much you pay for your energy. Do fans make a room cooler? While fans can't technically make a room cooler, they can make you feel cooler. Your body temperature is lowered as the air moves over your skin but a fan won't do much to tackle the heat inside your room. So if you don't plan on spending long in your room there's no point in leaving the fan on. How else can I keep cool in the heat? Sticking your bed sheets in the freezer can help to cool them down, according to TikTok star That Property Guy. Shutting your curtains and blinds during the day can also help your home to stay cool in the hot weather. You can also open the windows on both sides of your home to create a cooling through-breeze at no extra the cost. That Property Guy also recommended avoiding using the oven and turning off appliances that may release heat. Or you can place hot water bottles in the freezer to keep you cool overnight. And if you want to make your fan work harder, try putting a bowl of with water and ice in front of it to help cool down the house. 3
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Hungarian Mudi is Kennel Club's newest recognised dog breed in UK
Calling all canine lovers - there's officially set to be a new dog in town!The Hungarian Mudi has been recognised by The Kennel Club as the UK's newest dog breed. Experts say the dogs are very intelligent and can be recognised by their curly fur and ears that stick it got us you have a favourite type of dog? Perhaps you prefer a certain breed or size of dog? Or maybe you think that cats are more paw-some? Whatever your views, let us know in the comments below. What's happened? According to the Kennel Club, references to Mudi-like dogs date back to the 18th it wasn't until 1936 that the breed was formally herding dog breed originates from Hungary, in Central Europe and are known for their intelligence and distinctive features - a curly coat, ears that stick Powell from The Hungarian Mudi Club in the UK said that the dogs are very loving and loyal family members."Mudis love to please and work best with variation, patience, positive reinforcement."Most Mudis love water and will happily splash and swim," she will become the 225th official breed of pedigree dog - the last breed to be recognised by the Kennel Club was the Icelandic Sheepdog earlier this forget to let us know YOUR favourite breed of dog in the comments below!
BBC News
31 minutes ago
- BBC News
Campsite clampdown for 'aggressive' cat Harry
"He's fine, he's lovely," said Jonathan Wise, of Banham Butchers. "He's a cute little cat. "Sometimes when we open up he's out there waiting and will dart in hoping for a little sneaky sausage." Brian Mcallister, who runs The Barrel pub, said: "He's part of The Barrel family, and he's entertaining for everybody. He's a great character, we all love him." In a statement to the BBC, Ms Goymer said: "It was such a minor matter. "I had a conversation with the owner and it was all resolved, sharing our concerns for the cat's welfare and safety as a result of customer feedback we received, and the fact that I witnessed a potential accident happen in front of reception." Ms Wood said she had had several offers of a new home for Harry. "It would be sad for me to do that, but I just don't want him mistreated," she added.
