Dan Peters 02 July 2021

Social housing shortage blamed for rising bed and breakfast use

Social housing shortage blamed for rising bed and breakfast use image

Rising numbers of people who are homeless are being placed in bed and breakfasts due to a severe shortage of social housing, council leaders have warned.

New analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) revealed this was forcing councils to spend more than five times as much money on accommodation as they were a decade ago.

Currently, there are 10,510 households in bed and breakfasts - according to provisional data - compared with 2,310 a decade ago – more than a 350% increase.

Latest figures showed that councils in England spent £142m placing homeless households in bed and breakfasts in 2019-20 compared with £26.7m in 2010-11 – a 430% increase.

Housing spokesperson for the LGA, Cllr David Renard, said: ‘Councils will only use bed and breakfasts as a last resort, but the severe lack of suitable housing means they now have no choice.’

'This is hugely disruptive to families with children, and the rising demand for support has come with soaring costs for councils.'

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Children’s Services (DCS)

Swindon Borough Council
£129,000
Be the DCS you always wanted to be. Swindon, Wiltshire
Recuriter: Swindon Borough Council

Family Support Worker - Disabled Children's Service

Oxfordshire County Council
£30559 - £36124
About Us The Children's Disability Team in the North are seeking to recruit a Family Support Worker to join their service. The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic worker who is passionate about improving outcomes for Disabled children and young Banbury
Recuriter: Oxfordshire County Council

Prestige Gardener

Wakefield Council
£27,711.00 - £30,559.00, Grade 6, 37 hours, Permanent
An opportunity exists in the Council’s Street Scene Services for a Prestige Gardener Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Residential Supervisor x 3 - WMF2163e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£38,220 - £39,152 (pro rata for part time hours)
Our team at Elmhurst are looking for a motivated, friendly, and hard-working individual to join us as a supervisor. Ulverston, Cumbria
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council

ICT Systems and Data Engineer WMF2171e

Westmorland and Furness Council
£42,839 - £44,075
As an ICT Systems and Data Engineer at Westmorland and Furness Council Cumbria / Various
Recuriter: Westmorland and Furness Council
Linkedin Banner