Grant of £1m to combat homelessness in Birmingham as cost of living bites

The £1.1m has been awarded to the council as more residents have been forced into temporary accommodation this winter

More than £1m is to be used to tackle homelessness in Birmingham by the end of March.

The government grant has been welcomed by councillors, who say pressure on services have increased during winter due to the cost of living crisis.

There are 4,448 households living in temporary accommodation in the city with more than 1,000 in B&Bs or hotels, council figures show.

Grant funding will go towards helping free up accommodation.

The average number of people seeking help for homelessness issues is 30% higher than in 2020, and 20% higher than in 2021, the council said.

The cash comes from a £50m government pot that was made available towards the end of last year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Sharon Thompson, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said her teams would "mobilise quickly" to spend the money before the deadline of 31 March.

"This money will be able to support some very significant areas, particularly around housing solutions and caseworkers," she said.

"It will also support the complex case team which often has some really complex issues."