Rough sleepers: Milton Keynes Council to spend £3.5m on housing

Rough sleepers in Milton Keynes were brought in off the streets due to the coronavirus pandemic

A council says it is to spend £4.5m buying 30 flats and bedsits to provide supported housing for rough sleepers.

Milton Keynes Council moved more than 150 rough sleepers into hotels and temporary accommodation at the start of the coronavirus lockdown in March, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The authority will use £3.5m of its funds, with the government adding £1m.

A Labour councillor said the government stated the focus should be ensuring people "do not return to the streets".

No single party is in control of the unitary council, although Labour is the largest party.

A hut below a road bridge in Milton Keynes

Hannah O'Neill, representative for Woughton and Fishermead, said the money would come from the council's housing revenue account, which is where local authority tenants' rents are paid.

"Time really is of the essence as we have to have the money spent by March 2021, so there is not a lot of time," she said.

"We are hoping if there are any hold-ups, or if Covid prevents us from doing it as quickly as we would like, we will be able to negotiate with government but we are aiming to have them all bought by 31 March 2021."

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Buying the properties would reduce the council's spending on temporary accommodation and improve the wellbeing of rough sleepers, a council report said.