£15 million to be spent 'ensuring people in Plymouth have homes'
A report warns 'the private rented sector has become unaffordable and social housing availability has reduced'
Last updated 12th Dec 2023
More than £15-million is being spent in Plymouth to offer housing to families in need.
It comes as demand is up 158 per cent in the past few years, while the number of affordable homes has fallen by a third.
Council Leader Tudor Evans says they are seeing increasing numbers of people - who are struggling with rising costs - being made homeless as landlords looks to push up rents - or turn homes into holiday accommodation.
The money is coming from Homes England, £5 million and Plymouth City Council, £10 million.
A report to the council reads: "As homelessness has increased, the use of temporary accommodation has increased also.
"At the same time the move on options to affordable housing have reduced as the private rented sector has become unaffordable and social housing availability has reduced and fails to meet demand.
"This has resulted in existing temporary accommodation becoming blocked and more utilisation of unsuitable bed and breakfast and expensive nightly paid alternatives (holiday lets).
"This has created an in year service budget pressure of £2.4 million and demand is forecast to continue to increase."
The report says action is needed because without it, "Borrow less and purchase fewer units – rejected as this would not provide sufficient accommodation to meet the demand and manage the budget pressure."
It comes as Plymouth is joining forces to lobby to retain a “vital” government fund which has helped its most vulnerable families through the cost of living crisis.
The city council’s cabinet was told this week that the household support fund (HSF) was “too important to let go without a fight.”
Over the last three years, Plymouth has received £4.5 million a year from the fund to help people with energy bills, food and fuel.
Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, St Peter and the Waterfront), cabinet member for communities, said there was no mention in the government’s autumn statement of the HSF, which was established three years ago, continuing.
“All the information coming out from every source is that the household support fund will cease at the end of March next year,” he said.
“That’s £4.5 million of support to the people who are most in need in Plymouth. I find it hard to see the logic and I am not alone.”
The council will join Brighton Council and the Local Government Association in lobbying the government and will provide case studies showing the difference the money has made to people’s lives and how it is “not frivolous.”
Cllr Penberthy said it was one of his top three asks of government.
This year £1.7 million has been spent on food vouchers during school holidays for children who receive free school meals; £50,000 on opening 30 warm spaces during the winter and £750,000 in grants from Citizens Advice towards food, fuel and essential white goods.
In addition, money has been distributed through a Plymouth energy committee to help people with fuel bills; Citizens Advice has helped people with debt and energy advice; and Path (Plymouth Access to Housing) and a scheme called the soup run has received cash to deal with issues around homelessness.
“The HSF is vital to thousands of people in Plymouth. We will be fighting the government in that cut to funding because it’s too important to let go without putting up a fight on our side,” said Cllr Penberthy. “We will do everything in our power to support the local government family to see that change made.”
The meeting heard that more than 2,000 people in the city had accessed the council’s cost of living help online in the past four weeks and that 60 warm spaces had been made available to stop people feeling cold and isolated over the winter.