Herefordshire Council set to spend £5m on properties for homeless
It's set to help house those at at risk of homelessness
Herefordshire council say they are set to spend five million pounds over the next year, and a half buying up properties to house people at risk of homelessness.
They confirmed the plan to spend £2.5 million in the current and following financial years, alongside the £1.5 million government grant it accepted in October to house vulnerable young people.
In the year to April, Herefordshire spent over £3.4 million on short-term accommodation for needy individuals and families, who it has a statutory duty to house, with around £3 million going on “budget hotel B&B style accommodation”.
The £5 million available “will enable the council to respond quickly to opportunities to acquire and develop further stock to meet this demand, and decrease costs spent on temporary accommodation”, the council said.
The county meanwhile faces “a critical shortage of social housing”, they added, with 1,975 households on its housing waiting list.