Thanet District Council spends £5m on housing for homeless

Thanet District Council purchased 42 properties from a developer in Ramsgate

A council has spent £5m on homes to rent out to homeless families.

Thanet District Council (TDC) agreed the purchase of 42 homes in Ramsgate to help deal with increasing demand for social housing.

The authority said it currently had 1,600 families on its housing waiting list and it was struggling to provide accommodation.

The government said it had invested £3.1m in Thanet as part of its Homelessness Prevention Grant.

The ongoing cost of living crisis and rising costs in the private rental market have been blamed for a significant increase in demand for council housing.

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, deputy leader of TDC Helen Whitehead said: "We've had over a 60% cut in funding from central government over the last decade which equates to £8m.

"More and more families are joining the list and it's becoming more difficult to provide even for the more urgent cases."

Ms Whitehead described private rental costs in Thanet as "extraordinary" and said the cost of doing nothing would be far greater, both socially and financially, than any outlay to buy more properties.

• House prices are falling, so why can't I afford a home?

• Three ways to win the rental property race

• Housing plans a 'very big mistake', says MP

The authority said funds accrued from residents paying rent for social housing would enable it to buy more properties and increase it's social housing portfolio to help struggling locals.

"We have to do something to provide affordable housing for individuals. We are seeing very significant numbers of evictions, we are seeing families who are being priced out of area and displacement."

In a statement, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We are committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness before it occurs in the first place.

"We are investing over £1bn through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including £3.1m for Thanet between 2023 and 2025. Councils can use this funding flexibly, including to provide temporary accommodation."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].