Rise in demand for city's homelessness service

More than 2,000 households in Peterborough sought homelessness support from the council in the space of six months

A city council said it was facing "significant demand" from families and individuals seeking homelessness support.

Peterborough City Council was contacted by 3,654 households facing homelessness last year, an 11% increase on the previous year.

It said this year was on track to be higher still, with more than 2,000 cases recorded in the six months since April.

The authority said it was experiencing "significant demand" for its homelessness assistance but that the service had "worked hard to maximise opportunities to prevent homelessness".

A report being presented to a council committee on Wednesday said: "We recognise the impact that homelessness has on households as well as the financial pressure this places on the council through the high cost of temporary accommodation."

The number of households in temporary accommodation rose 16% in a year, to 378.

In the report, the council said it was working to reduce its reliance on using bed and breakfasts as temporary accommodation, which it described as "costly and inappropriate".

In the majority of cases, people experienced homelessness in Peterborough because they were asked to leave by family (20%) or were evicted under a Section 21 notice (14%).

Other common situations included fleeing domestic abuse (6.5%), friends not being able to accommodate them (6%) or a relationship breakdown (6%).

In the report, city council officers said there was a 74% gap between the number of houses available and the demand on the housing register.

It hoped that a new build development in Great Haddon on the outskirts of the city would help with combatting the demand.