Nottingham homelessness crisis won't change without help, says charity

Nottingham City Council's temporary accommodation is full

It is hard to see the homelessness crisis in Nottingham changing without government help, a charity boss says.

A Nottingham City Council report has said the demand for urgent housing is "extremely high and increasing".

The council's temporary accommodation is full, meaning it is spending £22,000 every night on hotels and B&Bs for 169 people and families.

Andrew Redfern, from support charity Framework, said housing, support, and employment issues needed addressing.

Despite the council increasing its temporary accommodation for homeless families from 88 to 441 units, it is all full, says the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The number of people sleeping rough on the city's streets has also risen by more than 40%, and more than 10,000 people are waiting for a council house.

Framework has been noticing a few new groups of rough sleepers, including those who have been evicted from private rented accommodation

Mr Redfern, chief executive of Framework, said: "If you want to get rid of homelessness and rough sleeping you have got to have a joined-up policy that addresses all the issues including the housing issues, the support issues, the employment issues, the benefit issues.

"The government at the moment pretends to have a strategy but truthfully it has not got one at all.

"I just get the sense it is a very long way down their priority list. For the moment it is very, very hard to see things changing."

Mr Redfern says Framework has been noticing a few new groups of rough sleepers, including those who have been evicted from private rented accommodation.

This is either due to not being able to afford rent, or being evicted due to landlords selling up because of selective licensing costs.

There is also the risk of asylum seekers and refugees becoming homeless after failing to hit Home Office deadlines to find accommodation.

Denis Tully, the chief executive of Emmanuel House - another homelessness support charity in Nottingham - added: "The current situation is hard work.

"More people are presenting and with complex needs."

The Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been contacted for comment.