Five London local authorities will get a share of a £1.9 million fund to help put an end to end bed and breakfast living for hundreds of homeless families.
Communities Minister Don Foster said on August 1 that the money must be used by councils to reduce the number of families unlawfully stuck in this unsuitable accommodation in their area. He also called on councils to put new measures in place to ensure that this situation doesn’t happen again.
The law is clear that families must only be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation as a last resort, and only then for no more than 6 weeks. But recent figures have shown a huge variation in the way councils help homeless people in their area, with only 15 councils accounting for nearly 80% of all families living in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than 6 weeks.
The £1.9 million funding will go to seven of these councils, five of which are in the Greater London area, to help them raise their game and discover innovative new ways to help meet the housing needs of these most vulnerable of families.
All lessons learned from these councils will be shared across the country, ensuring that every area can find the best way to provide stable, suitable homes for local residents as soon as possible.
Communities Minister Don Foster said:
“Today’s £1.9 million funding will help to get families across the country out of bed and breakfast accommodation and into stable homes.
“But this isn’t just a short term fix about cutting numbers – I want these councils to find long-term solutions to homelessness in their areas. They have a legal duty to help these families, and with this funding I expect them to ensure that no family need ever be stuck in this unsuitable accommodation for weeks on end.”
The councils that will benefit from the fund are: Barking & Dagenham, Birmingham, Crawley, Croydon, Hounslow, Redbridge and Westminster.
