More than £2 million was spent on temporary accommodation on the Isle of Wight last year for families, couples and single people that had been made homeless.
The figures were revealed by the Isle of Wight council as it unveiled plans to buy 50 homes in the next three years to help those in need.
A housing crisis like never before
Between March 2022 and April 2023, 220 households (including 175 families) needed to be housed in temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfasts, caravans, hostels or holiday lets — an increase from 203 the year before.
The authority says since the pandemic the Island has faced a housing crisis like never before, with more than 80 per cent of privately-rented properties becoming unavailable for long-term lets.
2,470 households looking for a permanent home
The council’s housing needs register now has more than 2,470 households listed as looking for a permanent home.
In the 2022/23 period, the council placed 584 households in bed and breakfast accommodation, with 12,975 nights booked.
It said those on low incomes and with the highest needs struggle to afford current market rents.
£2,213,037 bill
The need for temporary accommodation last year cost the authority £2,213,037, before any income was recouped, compared to £1,703,867 in 2021.
With the increasing need for temporary accommodation, the council said it was hard to find cost-effective alternatives.
Purchase of 50 properties
Last night (Thursday), the council’s cabinet approved a new acquisition strategy which would help the authority buy 50 properties to directly provide the accommodation needed and be rented at an affordable level to Islanders.
Speaking at the meeting, the council’s adult social care director, Laura Gaudion, said this strategy would support the cost-effective delivery of the authority’s homeless duties and outcomes for local people.
Stephens: Being realistic
Last week, Councillor Ian Stephens, the cabinet member for housing, said the strategy was a starting point for the council, but they were trying to be realistic in what they could deliver, without bankrupting the authority.
It was revealed the council has roughly £1.3 million to spend to purchase properties in the current year through loans and grant funding as well as money received from property developers.
Call for targets and timeframes
The council’s regeneration and neighbourhoods scrutiny committee wondered if the strategy could do more and said it needed to have set targets and timeframes with a detailed action plan.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: SurveyHacks under CC BY 2.0
