Nine-bed house plan for homeless people
Council acts after £600k bill for emergency b&b accommodation
A COUNCIL wishes to convert a nine-bed house into emergency accommodation for those experiencing homelessness after it spent £600,000 on bed and
breakfast placements last year.
Fareham Borough Council bought a property on Gordon Road and will decide on the proposed works needed to provide rooms for homeless people.
During 2020/21 the council spent £603,924 on housing individuals and families in B&B accommodation - these costs have risen over the years and are likely to continue.
The use of B&Bs can result in people being placed outside of the borough, presenting challenges such as being distanced from their support network, work and schools.
Trevor Pickup, chief executive of Hampshire based homelessness charity The Society of St James, said: ‘There are two types of emergency accommodation. One is for homeless families and then there’s also accommodation for single vulnerable adults.
‘Some local authorities more recently have also been buying property to assure they can house vulnerable single adults which I think is a good thing to be done.
‘If a local authority has got a number of units they can use - once those are full then they have to go elsewhere.
‘Particularly during Covid, they were encouraged to get as many people off the streets as possible so lots of local authorities spent money on bed and breakfast and they were given specific grants from the government to do that.’
The conversion works needed on the property include roof repairs, upgrades to heating and water systems, redecoration and external works to the garden and parking areas paid for through the general fund.
The occupants in emergency accommodation typically include hospital discharges, ex-MoD staff without accommodation, family fallouts, private rent evictions, repossessions and victims of domestic violence.
Occupants of the property will benefit from dining and living areas, bedding, cots and extra beds along with a ‘toy library’ or something
similar for children to use.