200 homeless still supported
RESEARCH carried out for Bridgend MP Jamie Wallis has revealed that there are still 200 homeless people in hotel and B&B accommodation within Bridgend county borough.
Welsh Conservative Dr Wallis sent a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to Bridgend council about what had happened to homeless people within the borough since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The council revealed that during the financial year 2020/21, they had housed 665 homeless people with 183 of these being sent to hotel and guest house accommodation in Porthcawl – the cost of this was £1,266,252.
This year, the council revealed that, as of August 1, there were still 201 people in emergency B&B type accommodation, including 70 in premises in Porthcawl.
Figures show that so far this year, the cost has been £382,084.
Dr Wallis said that he had recently met police to discuss the situation in Porthcawl which was affected by higher crime levels during this period.
He said: “I have received many complaints from Porthcawl residents from the start of lockdown about increased levels of anti-social behaviour, drunkenness, drug abuse and other crimes.
“This followed the decision by the council to move relatively high numbers of homeless people, including rough sleepers into the hotel accommodation and guest houses in the town.
“I realise that the council had to find places for such people very quickly in order to get them off the streets as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold.
“Obviously, using empty hotel accommodation was a quick fix.
“But the unintended consequences of this action in the form of increased levels of criminal behaviour have had an adverse effect on the town and its residents.
“I have raised this both with the police and with the council and stressed the need to move these residents out of this accommodation as soon as possible.
“Police say they have been working with council staff and homeless charities to find alternative accommodation.
“I welcome this news that the council says that it is assessing all homeless people with a view to developing individual housing plans to meet their needs and prevent them from becoming homeless in future.
“The council has said that it has no date as yet for when the last residents will be moved out of Porthcawl’s hotels and guest houses as emergency guidance from Welsh Government remains in place.
“At the moment, demands on the council’s homelessness services remain high and a range of temporary accommodation is still in use.
“I will be monitoring the situation as we move forward.”
Councillor Dhanisha Patel, cabinet member for wellbeing and future generations, said: “The MP asks us to accommodate more homeless individuals and families, but at the same time opposes plans that would provide more homes for people to live in. He further states that they should be moved on, but does not specify or suggest where exactly they should be moved to, and I am afraid that he cannot have it both ways.
“Since the pandemic began, we have supported more than 700 people who have become homeless and vulnerable for all sorts of reasons. Not everyone who is homeless engages in nuisance or criminal behaviour, and I think it is hugely unfair to label them all in this way.
“To safeguard people’s well-being throughout the pandemic, the council has worked with private landlords and owners of hotel and bed-andbreakfast accommodation all across the county borough, not just in Porthcawl. In instances where issues have occurred, we are continuing to work alongside South Wales Police to reach satisfactory resolutions.
“As well as ensuring homeless people can access safe accommodation, this has also provided private businesses with steady income which has helped them to stay afloat, especially during lockdown.”