'Lack of permanent social housing' affecting North East Lincolnshire Council use of B&B hotels to house homeless

North East Lincolnshire Council has said a "lack of permanent social housing" is affecting its use of B&Bs to house people at risk of homelessness.

Because of the lack of permanent social housing and a bouyant rental market, people are staying in temporary accommodation for longer. This has resulted in the council having to use B&Bs more again during the first half of 2024.

The council is working extremely hard to offer temporary homes as opposed to B&B accommodation to people facing homelessness, said a spokesperson. Recently released government data shows in October to December 2023, it bucked the England-wide trend and had reduced numbers of families having to stay in B&B hotels.

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In the last three months of 2023, 2,960 families were housed in B&Bs across England for over six weeks. This is an 84 per cent increase compared to the same time in 2022.

Reduced B&B use

Recently released government data shows a fall in households in North East Lincolnshire being put up in B&Bs when facing homelessness. In October to December, 26 out of 80 households in temporary accommodation were in B&Bs. Of these, there were only two with children.

The same time period in 2022 saw 73 out of 157 households in temporary accommodation in B&B hotels, including shared annexes. Sixteen families were in B&Bs for six or more weeks, with three pending a review or appeal. And 2021 also had higher than last winter use of B&Bs to house families, with six.

This winter, local authority or housing association stock was the largest source of temporary accommodation used in North East Lincolnshire, accounting for 56 per cent. This compares to a 23 per cent share in October to December 2022, when 13 households were also put up in temporary accommodation outside of the borough. However, 57 children divided up among 25 households had to be provided relief from homelessness in the last three months of 2023.

A council spokesperson said: "Following the COVID pandemic, North East Lincolnshire Council worked extremely hard to offer temporary homes – as opposed to B&B accommodation – to meet a higher-than-normal demand from people and families facing homelessness." The country faced increased demand for temporary homes post-pandemic as eviction freezes during lockdowns were lifted in 2022.

"In a determined effort to support the people and families it was working with, the authority actively pursued the leasing of properties as temporary accommodation for people, thereby lessening the need for B&B use. For example, the council wanted to ensure that no families had to spend the Christmas of 2023 in B&Bs – and that was achieved with all those needing their own temporary accommodation (flats/houses), having it."

More B&Bs have been used since. "However, the authority does highlight how a lack of permanent social housing and a buoyant rental market means people and families currently using the council’s leased temporary accommodation are having to stay in those properties longer."

"This in turn, means the council is, during this first half of 2024, having to use more B&Bs again for those coming to the authority now and facing homelessness. The work continues though, to try and find the best alternative."

"We are working hard with local landlords to increase the number of properties available to us to use as temporary accommodation, and to find appropriate accommodation for families to move into permanently, and this work will not stop despite the challenges faced, which are reflected across the country.”

The spokesperson added how the above work was complemented by its drive to find good quality accommodation for single adults too. For example, Swan House has been leased and upgraded by the authority to provide self-contained modern flats for people over 18. It opened in February.

England-wide picture

Across England, families living in B&Bs for over six weeks is 19-times higher now than when the Conservatives came to power. In May 2010, just 160 families with children found themselves in a B&B for over six weeks.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "Decades of failure to build enough genuinely affordable social homes has left families struggling to cobble together extortionate sums every month to keep a roof over their heads."

With the general election approaching, measures she called for included every party to commit to build 90,000 social homes a year, for a decade. A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said the government is providing £104 billion in 2022-2025 to support households with cost of living.

"We want everyone to have a safe place to call home, which is why we’re giving councils £1.2 billion so that they can give financial support to those who need it, helping them to find a new home and move out of temporary accommodation." It has also boosted the local housing allowance, giving 1.6m private renters an extra £800 towards rental costs.