Industry News
Huge increase in B&B spending for people who are homeless reveals urgency for more social housing
R
ising numbers of people who are homeless are being placed in bed and breakfast hotels due to a severe shortage of housing
meaning councils are being forced to spend over five times as much money on emergency accommodation as they were a decade ago. Latest figures show that councils in England
spent £142 million placing homeless households in bed and breakfasts in 2019/20, compared with £26.7 million in 2010/11 - a 430 per cent increase. Currently, there are 10,510 households in bed
and breakfasts, according to provisional data, compared with 2,310 a decade ago – more than a 350 per cent increase. During the coronavirus crisis, central and local
government have shown what can be achieved when they work together towards a shared goal with councils demonstrating their ability to lead and delivery on the most pressing issues facing residents right across the nation. The Local Government Association now wants to
work more closely with the Government to tackle the current housing shortage and is calling for councils to be given further powers and resources to build 100,000 social homes for rent each year, as part of a six point plan of action. With previous LGA analysis showing council
housing waiting lists could double as a result of the pandemic, giving councils these new powers would help the Government to meet a third of its annual housing target and reduce homelessness. By reforming Right to Buy so that councils can
retain 100 per cent of receipts, have flexibility to combine right to receipts with other Government
grants and be able to set the size of discounts locally, councils could go even further. The LGA says these measures would enable
councils to significantly boost the number of new homes built, supported by the right infrastructure. Polling by the LGA has also found that 80 per cent of MPs and 88 per cent of Peers think councils should have more financial freedoms and powers to build new homes. Cllr David Renard, LGA housing spokesperson,
said: “Sadly, these figures reflect the scale of the housing challenges that our country faces. Councils will only use bed and breakfasts as a last resort, but the severe lack of suitable housing means they now have no choice. This is hugely disruptive to families with children, and the rising demand for support
has come with soaring costs for councils. “Throughout the pandemic government
has trusted councils to get on with the job of protecting the nation, supporting people and putting infrastructures in place to help with recovery. We want to continue this momentum and work with government to tackle the shortage of housing and build the homes the country desperately needs. “With the right funding and freedoms, councils
can help government achieve its ambitions for our national recovery from the pandemic. Giving councils the powers to build council housing on the scale required, would go a significant way towards reducing homelessness and the need to place households in bed and breakfasts.”
Midlands HA sets aside extra £2m to tackle damp and mould
Bromford housing association has set aside an additional £2 million to address damp and mould issues within its stock after a TV news crew reported on poor conditions within its stock. Bromford said the money will help it deal with
damp and mould cases “more proactively with customers when issues arise in their homes”. The new funding is on top of the £35m it has already
spent over the past year maintaining and improving existing homes with a further £42m planned for the current year. The association has 44,000 homes spread across
central and south west England. It is one of the country’s biggest developers of social housing and by 2030 it plans to have all of its homes at the EPC energy rating of C as a minimum. In mid May an ITV News bulletin reported on
the damp and mould suffered by one of Bromford’s tenants, as part of a national investigation into the poor conditions experienced by many tenants in the social housing sector. Paul Coates, executive director of transformation
and compliance at Bromford, said the additional funding was just one aspect of the association’s approach to addressing the issue, which it said is one of the organisation’s top priorities. He said: “We are now looking at other live cases
16 | HMM August/September 2021 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
of damp and mould and have already started contacting these customers to understand what their issues are, what experience they’ve had with our service so far, before carrying out a physical inspection of the home to identify any remedial action that needs to be taken. “Additionally, we will be looking at historical
cases, to make sure any issues haven’t returned, and our neighbourhood coaches are having those proactive conversations right now in our communities. Mr Coates visited the tenant whose home was
featured on ITV News, with a technical colleague before the programme aired. “While there were no leaks or structural issues, there was a high level of moisture being created inside the home and we identified a number of remedial works to help with ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom. Those works have now been completed.”
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