Homeless households placed outside of county

The city council recorded 41 rough sleepers in November 2024

Homeless people in Oxford have been sent to neighbouring counties for temporary accommodation as its council becomes more reliant on budget hotels.

Of the 494 households placed in temporary accommodation in 2024/25, more than half were sent to live in local authorities outside the city.

Oxford City Council said reducing the number of households sent outside of its area was a key priority.

Cabinet member for housing and communities Linda Smith said: "We are unable to source sufficient accommodation in the city, and in some cases have to place outside of our boundaries."

A Freedom of Information request has showed many of the 494 households were sent within Oxfordshire.

These include 160 being sent to South Oxfordshire, 31 being sent to Cherwell, nine being sent to Vale of White Horse and one being sent to West Oxfordshire.

But some were sent further afield, with 45 to High Wycombe, 34 to Reading, and two to South Buckinghamshire.

Two households were also sent to Milton Keynes and Slough respectively, which are both roughly 40 miles away from Oxford.

The numbers of people in Oxford needing temporary accommodation have increased significantly, with the number of placements going up from 218 in 2022/23, to 488 in 2023/24, and to 494 in 2024/25.

No one was placed in temporary accommodation outside Oxfordshire until 2023/24.

Ms Smith said: "Unfortunately, the current unprecedented demand for temporary accommodation has meant we've had to increasingly use budget hotels, sometimes at a distance from Oxford.

"However, we are working hard to increase the number of properties we have available for temporary accommodation locally, this involves leasing privately owned properties as well as using our own council stock."

The city council recently approved proposals to converting four derelict buildings in the city into affordable housing, with some of these homes being dedicated to temporary accommodation.