17th
May 2021
A council has just announced a £30,000 fund is to be made available to help private tenants with their deposits which is far cheaper than providing bed and breakfast accommodation.
Stafford Council’s ruling cabinet scheme is to aid the “hidden homeless” who are in desperate need of a one bed property as there is a major shortage in social rented or council accommodation of this type of housing.
In Stafford Councils proposal outlines the cost to house a person in B&B accommodation for up to seven months (the average waiting time for a one bed apartment becomes available) is more than £10,000.
So by paying a typical deposit for the type of accommodation is far cheaper - the average monthly rent is £525.
The council has now set aside £30,000 from its government funded Homelessness Prevention Grant.
The scheme was started two years ago and featured in Stafford council’s proposal: “In the year 2019-2020, Stafford Borough Council’s Housing Options team assisted 59 people to access accommodation in the private sector; 28 were for homelessness prevention and 31 were homelessness relief. This compares to 161 people who were housed in social housing and 55 in supported housing.
“There are significant barriers for households with complex needs who cannot access social housing and have to wait in unsatisfactory accommodation whilst protracted and sometimes failed negotiations with landlords take place. This waiting can have an adverse effect on the client’s health and wellbeing, including mental wellbeing, and make rehousing more difficult.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has brought additional pressures on many households nationwide. A cohort of ‘hidden homeless’ were initially brought to the forefront of homeless service provision during the first lockdown; sofa surfers or those staying with family and friends in insecure accommodation who are at risk of rough sleeping.
“High levels of demand for rehousing due to relationship breakdown have continued throughout the past 12 months. In the near future, when the ban on evictions is fully lifted, a significant increase in homeless presentations is anticipated as a result of rent arrears, both from circumstances prior to the pandemic, but also stemming from Covid-related impacts such as job losses and reduced working hours.”
Surprisingly Stafford’s private rental accommodation only accounts for 10% of housing.
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