Epsom councillor says local housing in "crisis situation"

An Epsom councillor has told us that housing pressures and homelessness in the area is a "crisis situation".

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council say the area faces the challenge of the South East’s very high housing costs, alongside a severe shortage of housing.

Clive Woodbridge is from the Council:

"It's a crisis for us as a council and for local authorities across the South East.

"But it's also a crisis for our residents, who are desperately in need of accommodation and there just isn't enough of it. Or enough of it that can be afforded at the moment."

Clive says early intervention is the Council's approach to the homelessness crisis:

"I think the main thing is to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place.

"A lot of people who are becoming homeless are in private rental accommodation but their landlord decides to end the arrangement, or evict them.

"Or they're living with friends and family and those arrangements end," he says.

According to official Government statistics, an estimated 3,898 people were counted as sleeping rough across England on a single night in Autumn 2023.

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