6 days ago
Suffolk councils to buy properties in bid to combat homelessness
Two councils are set to spend millions of pounds buying homes to house people facing and Mid Suffolk district councils are putting aside nearly £4m for the councils said the cost of placing people in hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation was becoming "increasingly untenable".Ruth Hendry, cabinet member for housing at Babergh District Council, said: "Not only does placing in bed and breakfasts and hotels make no financial sense, the impact it can have on families, whose lives are already in turmoil, is unmeasurable."
Local authorities have the responsibility of finding accommodation for people at risk of homelessness.A report in March said the the authorities supported 158 households with temporary accommodation and had been spending a combined £70,000 a month on hotels and B& Suffolk District Council said demand for temporary housing nearly doubled between 2020 and 2024 while Babergh has seen an increase of 69% in the same Suffolk has put aside £2m of capital funding, and it has £950,000 will come from the government's Local Authority Housing Fund, says the Local Democracy Reporting has just over £1m from the same fund to spend.
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