Councils set to attend emergency summit on temporary accommodation crisis
More than 100 councils are expected to attend an emergency summit on Tuesday to discuss the escalating social and financial crisis created by the unprecedented demand for temporary accommodation.
Hosted by Eastbourne Borough Council and the District Councils’ Network, the summit aims to share insight from the councils attending and will result in a joint cross-party letter to the government ahead of the Autumn Statement urging immediate action.
The summit will explore potential solutions including:
- Increasing Local Housing Allowance rates for private rented accommodation
- Developing policy to stimulate retention and supply in the privately rented sector
- Reviewing the housing benefit subsidy rate for local authority homelessness placements
- Giving district councils the powers, funding and resources needed to increase the supply of social housing
- Increasing the level of Discretionary Housing Payment funding and the Homelessness Prevention Grant
Stephen Holt, leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said: ‘The situation is stark. Councils provide a safety net for the most vulnerable people who need our help, and that safety net is at real risk of failing.
‘Figures from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have shown that the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities reached £1.7bn last year and is increasing rapidly. This is wholly unsustainable for councils, and the situation is now critical.’
The minister for local government, Lee Rowley, has been invited to attend the summit.
Hannah Dalton, the District Councils’ Network spokesperson for health, housing and hardship, said: ‘Across the country, we are experiencing a spiralling tide of need, driven by a severe shortage of social housing, the cost of living crisis, and an unstable and unaffordable private rented sector. This means as district councils, we are placing an unprecedented number of people in temporary accommodation, which is cripplingly expensive for councils and unsuitable for residents.
‘Districts are vital to preventing homelessness and providing resolution when our residents are faced with no alternative. Without urgent intervention, the very existence of this safety net is under threat.
‘We are therefore calling on the government to act now and urgently adopt our five asks ahead of the Autumn Statement. While these alone will not end homelessness, they will go a long way in reducing the number of families in temporary accommodation and the series of challenges that come with this.’
Image: Marten Bjork
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