Essex city with over 300 homeless families 'facing tough times'

More than 300 families are homeless in Colchester, with some being shipped out to temporary accommodation across Essex. A total of 336 families are registered as homeless in the city, with 96 of those in bed and breakfasts, while 29 of those have been placed outside of the city.

It comes as the city council continues to battle the issue and spent more than £1 million over its budget on the issue last year, according to a senior councillor. A homeless charity in the city has also raised concerns about the issue blaming “a lack of affordable and accessible housing in the area.”

Cllr Paul Smith, (St Anne’s and St John’s, Lib Dem), portfolio holder for housing, said: “We’ve had to borrow some units from the army but obviously it wants them back. These people are going through such a tough time and there are a number of families who have been evicted through no fault of their own, I know many councillors on the council have had families in this situation come to them.

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“What we have been doing is working with neighbouring authorities and been looking at this on an Essex-wide basis. We would like to do more but it comes down to a question of finances. These are such high numbers but we also have a homeless prevention unit which offers a range of support including helping people to stay in their tenancy.

“We are doing a lot but it’s not a problem we can stand or deal with alone. Last year we paid more than £1 million above budget because the need has gone up. These families, especially those having to be housed outside the city are facing issues such as getting to and from school or work.”

In October last year, it was reported how more than 1 in 10 of people homeless in Colchester being accommodated in emergency bed and breakfasts had been told to live outside the city– and at the time Mr Smith described the issue as a “tragedy”.

Brian Cook, chief executive of homeless charity Emmaus in Colchester said: “The number of people living in temporary accommodation is very worrying. We believe a large part of the issue is a lack of affordable and accessible housing in the area.

“Without this housing on offer, we often struggle to find onward accommodation for the people we support once they are ready to move on from our organisation. The challenge is not unique to Colchester, and with councils experiencing further reductions in spending while managing increasing costs across their wide portfolio of responsibilities, we are working hard to support the local authorities. Charities, like Emmaus who are preventing homelessness need more support to ensure we can help people break the cycle of homelessness for good.”