London council to buy Liverpool City Region houses

The Liverpool City Region features Merseyside's five boroughs plus Halton in neighbouring Cheshire

A north London council has said it is looking to buy properties in the Liverpool City Region (LCR) and use them to provide housing for homeless people.

Enfield Council said it was struggling to find affordable accommodation in the capital for homeless residents.

Since 2023, the local authority has placed them in temporary rented accommodation in towns as far away as Telford and Hartlepool.

A spokesperson said that while it had not yet purchased any properties in the LCR, it would acquire some under a pilot scheme because it would be cheaper than paying for private rental accommodation, hotels and bed and breakfasts in London.

Councils across England are facing soaring costs for temporary accommodation.

Enfield Council spent more than £50m on leasing temporary accommodation in each of the past five financial years, peaking at £59.5m in 2023-24.

Meanwhile in Liverpool, the 2023-24 bill for providing bed and breakfasts and hotels was about £20m.

While Enfield confirmed it was looking for properties in the LCR, it said it was not focussing on the city of Liverpool.

A spokesperson said: "In recent years, the significant shortage of affordable rental homes in Enfield and across London has impacted our ability to place families in suitable homes within the borough.

"This crisis has been worsened by rising rents, a collapsing private rental sector for affordable homes within Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates, and an increasing number of families and residents facing homelessness.

"To ensure residents have access to secure, long-term stable homes, we have taken the difficult but necessary step of looking into the possibility of buying a small number of residential properties in more affordable areas."

'Flawed policy'

The north London council acknowledged that Enfield and Liverpool were about 170 miles apart.

It said: "Where possible, we continue to seek housing solutions closer to Enfield. Our focus remains on increasing the supply of affordable homes. We will continue to work with the government to address our borough's housing needs."

The other five councils in the LCR - Halton, Wirral, Knowsley, Sefton and St Helens - have all been contacted for comment, as has the office of the city region's mayor, Steve Rotheram.

Carl Cashman, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Liverpool, said that whilst Enfield Council was not buying properties in the city, the whole policy was flawed.

"This isn't kicking the can down the road - this is kicking it across the other side of the country," he said.

"This is not good for people being moved nor the communities they are being moved to.

"We need the Labour government to listen to councils. They are being crushed under the weight of mounting costs and we are struggling to get by.

"We need national funding to launch local initiatives to tackle homelessness in our towns and cities - not just the Liverpool City Region, but across the country.

"That starts with providing social housing for those that need it in our communities."