Nearly 50 North Lincolnshire households were put up in B&Bs to avoid homelessness last Christmas, including 13 children.
The number of North Lincolnshire people facing homelessness and needing temporary accommodation has more than doubled on the year before – and almost all were put up in October to December in B&Bs.
Six families were in temporary accommodation, double the year before, and four of these were in B&Bs, up from one. This follows an England-wide trend, where more families had to stay in B&Bs for over six weeks late last year compared to the same time in 2022.
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In the last three months of 2023, 2,960 families were housed in B&Bs across England for over six weeks. This is an 84 per cent increase compared to the year before. A council spokesperson said it does try to move families into permanent accommodation as quickly as possible, though finding such can be challenging.
In total, 50 households were in temporary accommodation in North Lincolnshire in the last three months of last year. Forty-seven were in B&B hotels, including shared annexes, two in private sector accommodation leased by the council or a registered provider, and one put in temporary accommodation in another local authority. Two of the four families in B&Bs were pending review or appeal.
In late 2022, there were 19 households in temporary accommodation, 16 housed in B&Bs, including one family, though they were pending a review or appeal. A North Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said: “The council works hard to support people who are homeless, or are at risk of becoming homeless. The increase in numbers matches a national trend.
“The council does try to move families on into permanent accommodation as quickly as possible but finding suitable empty properties can be challenging. There has also been a significant investment in a new facility in the town centre that has accommodation and offers support to homeless people.”
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England-wide picture
Across England, families living in B&Bs for over six weeks is 19-times higher now than when the Conservatives came to power. In May 2010, just 160 families with children found themselves in a B&B for over six weeks.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Decades of failure to build enough genuinely affordable social homes has left families struggling to cobble together extortionate sums every month to keep a roof over their heads.”
With the general election approaching, measures she called for included every party to commit to build 90,000 social homes a year, for a decade. A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said the government is providing £104 billion in 2022-2025 to support households with cost of living.
“We want everyone to have a safe place to call home, which is why we’re giving councils £1.2 billion so that they can give financial support to those who need it, helping them to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation.” It has also boosted the local housing allowance, giving 1.6m private renters an extra £800 towards rental costs.
Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
