Homelessness: Ten new units for people in west Norfolk

The 10 units will be developed in two or three vacant properties, the council said

Ten new accommodation units are being developed to house rough sleepers in west Norfolk.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council has identified a group of homeless people, many of whom suffer from addiction, mental health problems and other complex needs, that it is struggling to house.

The authority hopes the units will be usable by February.

A council officer said homeless applications were increasing.

The authority will also block-book bed and breakfast accommodation to help reduce the number of people rough sleeping in the area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"The housing support providers, the hostel providers, are really struggling with recruitment and retention," the officer said.

"All of these factors have created, in some senses, a perfect storm, but we think we've got to approach this again by planning for the worst, and putting what resources we can in."