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Extra money set aside to combat homelessness in North Norfolk

North Norfolk District Council is setting aside ÂŁ750,000 over the next three years

Author: George Thompson, Local Democracy Reporting ServicePublished 2nd Sep 2022

A Norfolk council is looking to purchase even more emergency housing to combat rising homelessness across its district.

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) is setting aside ÂŁ750,000 over the next three years to increase the amount of temporary accommodation it has available.

Officers at NNDC say this will provide better and cheaper accommodation than “inferior” bed and breakfast options.

The council currently has 16 houses in use across the district, including six in North Walsham.

Among the properties, two were acquired through compulsory purchase orders as half-built, where developers had left them to stand empty and incomplete.

The council has a legal duty to provide temporary accommodation (TA) to homeless households. Alongside houses owned by NNDC, short-term rentals, such as bed and breakfasts, can be used.

NNDC’s cabinet is expected to sign off on the plan at a meeting on Tuesday, September 6. If agreed, it will set an annual budget of £250,000 until 2025/2026.

A report to the cabinet said: “The number of households requiring TA has increased in recent years and remains high – currently there are 48 households in TA.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic and the government’s “Everyone In” initiative (which aimed to ensure vulnerable rough sleepers were accommodated during the pandemic) the majority of those accommodated were single people.

“However, more recently with the ending of the ban on private rent evictions, the profile of homeless households needing TA has changed.”

Post-pandemic, more families and couples are needing accommodation, with 26 currently requiring NNDC support. This compares to 24 single people.

The priority going forward will be to purchase more family homes.

Earlier this year council officers used urgent powers to purchase a house in Sheringham, which will add a 17th property to the council’s portfolio.

The two-bed home was purchased for ÂŁ242,755 in August.

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