Council secures extra funds to house young people

Herefordshire Council wants to buy up a minimum of 10 properties with the money, to house young people at risk of being homeless

A council has secured just under £1.4m of additional funding to buy and manage properties to house young people at risk of homelessness.

Herefordshire Council accepted a government grant of £910,000, which it will match-fund with cash from the NHS-backed Better Care Fund, as well as money from developers.

The funding would be used to buy a "minimum of 10" properties on the open market, but the authority said it aimed to buy 15 over the current financial year.

It also took a further £478,615 for dedicated support workers and associated services.

The spending would address the gaps in homelessness for vulnerable people aged 18-25 in the county, the council’s decision said.

Eight properties had already been secured, it added, and offers had been made on a further six.

The premises would serve as "transitional" housing, the authority said, "which is a stepping-stone towards independent living and reduces the risk of homelessness and rough sleeping".

In July, it was announced that an extra £5m would be spent over the next two years on buying housing for people at risk of homelessness in the county.

Figures showed the number of families placed in temporary accommodation in the county had doubled from 74 to 141 since March 2022.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.