Hotels for homeless set to cost Bristol City Council almost £1m

Bristol City Council are hoping to invest in more supported housing in the city

Hotels for homeless people are set to cost the council almost £1m next year.

Bristol City Council says hotels are only used "as a last resort", but their use has steadily increased this year.

Estimated to cost the council £975,000 next year, they said their use was down to a shortage of temporary accommodation.

The council hopes to invest in more supported housing, following an increase in homelessness since the pandemic.

A cabinet report says there are currently more than 1,300 households in temporary accommodation, an 87% rise since before the pandemic.

It continued: "Family homelessness has increased since the end of lockdowns and protections like the eviction ban.

"The cost of living crisis and continuing challenges around affordability of both home ownership and private renting are contributing to high levels of homelessness."

New supported accommodation

It also said more than 500 households a month approach the council because of homelessness related issues, a 25% increase since before the pandemic.

Housing homeless people in hotel rooms cost the council £27,450 in May, £43,952 in June, £62,304 in July, and £98,630 in August, according to the report.

The cabinet was expected to sign off a three-year extension to a contract for booking hotel rooms for homeless people during a public meeting on Tuesday.

Council bosses are also trying to reduce how much they spend on expensive and privately-managed temporary accommodation, with plans to increase how much temporary housing they provide.

The council expects the use of hotel placements to "see a steady decline" after about six months, due to new temporary housing becoming available, with annual costs expected to fall to £60,000 by 2026.