Households in temporary housing in West Northamptonshire rises

WNC says there are 66 rough sleepers in West Northamptonshire

The number of people in temporary accommodation in a council area is rising, according to the latest figures.

At the end of August, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) had 632 individuals and families in temporary housing.

The figure had risen by 20% since the start of January.

The authority is bidding for funding for one scheme which could bring the figures down.

WNC said in a cabinet report that the cost of temporary accommodation was contributing to a projected £2.8m shortfall in its budget, with the high cost of accommodation booked on the night being a key factor.

Those people in temporary housing were staying in a variety of places:

• 39 in hotels or bed and breakfast accommodation

• 57 in houses of multiple occupation (HMOs)

• 14 in properties leased by the council

• 146 in council-owned properties

• 376 in rooms purchased "on the night"

Housing and public health officials carried out a survey and discovered there were 106 long-term rough sleepers in West Northamptonshire, but there were only 40 supported accommodation units for them.

Broadmead Court in Northampton will be bought by WNC to house homeless people

The council has now agreed to buy Broadmead Court in Northampton, which has 21 apartments, to help reduce the number of homeless people in the area.

WNC is hoping for a share of a government programme, the Single Homelessness Accommodation Fund, which would pay for Broadmead Court to be turned into long-term housing.

If the bid is unsuccessful, it will be used as temporary accommodation for those who are legally entitled to it.

At the same time, WNC is planning to award a £30m five-year contract to a private provider of nightly purchased temporary accommodation, to replace the existing contract which expires next year.

Sally Beardsworth, leader of the Liberal Democrats on the council, said: "There are people out there that use every avenue in the private sector to make all of their money out of other people's misery.

"We might have an awful lot more people and families needing private accommodation."

Adam Brown, WNC's cabinet member for housing, said that WNC would seek to "maintain a healthy stock of council-owned accommodation", but that it ultimately does "need private sector assistance to fill the gap".