Council sets out plan to end use of B&Bs for housing Haringey’s homeless family members

The amount of local homeless family members positioned in emergency hotel lodging has risen from zero to 104 in just 18 months, studies Grace Howarth, Regional Democracy Reporter

Haringey Council has established out its program to get rid of the use of bed and breakfast (B&B) lodging for housing households amid a sharp spike in homelessness.

A new council report states that as of final month, there were being 76 households and 28 solitary homeless people from Haringey staying accommodated in commercial accommodations – but right before June 2022, B&Bs had not been applied to dwelling nearby homeless family members “for in excess of a decade”.

The definition of B&Bs incorporates any form of nightly compensated non permanent lodging the place there are no shared cooking or washing facilities – and typically means low cost lodge rooms.

Denise Gandy, the council’s assistant director of housing demand, gave some insight into the authority’s program to eliminate the use of B&Bs at a housing progress and preparing scrutiny panel assembly yesterday (Monday 18th).

She reported the borough received all around £8.6million in governing administration funding yearly to assistance “homelessness prevention activity” but mainly because the government was concerned with the increasing range of families residing in B&Bs, it is now a prerequisite to supply an elimination strategy. 

Denise said: “Any borough that’s acquired extra than six people in B&Bs desires to do this we have not been in this position prior to, it is a hard situation throughout London but we have submitted our program to them.”

The elimination plan’s primary aim is offer and using early intervention to enable prevent homelessness, as properly as checking out selections to provide empty households at Love Lane Estate back into use. 

There are also proposals to maximize the use of just one-bed room council houses as momentary accommodation and prioritise moves from motels and short-continue to be hostels. Even further steps contain identifying vacant or council-owned structures that could be applied for limited or medium-time period momentary housing.

Labour councillor and panel member Alexandra Worrell requested how lengthy the council experienced for “numbers to go down” prior to funding was afflicted. 

Denise reported: “We have a specialist advisor who will work with us on our plan, they satisfy us every month and we check progress with them.”

She added funding was set for this 12 months and following and “they’re not going to take that away”, but the next calendar year [2025] onwards the council was at risk of shedding funding if they didn’t “get the numbers below control”. 

Denise mentioned the federal government didn’t want to give money to councils to devote on B&Bs. 

Labour’s Tammy Hymas also questioned whether this new stress would “negatively influence people” likely leading to much more homelessness thanks to the council trying to meet the funding targets. 

Denise mentioned: “A robust emphasis on our program truly is about other source. We never want men and women to be in B&Bs not necessarily since governing administration don’t want it, but due to the fact we really do not think it is a great area for persons to be. 

“We consider we will be vulnerable as lengthy as we’re greatly reliant on a non-public sector that we just cannot command.”

Sarah Williams, cabinet member for housing solutions, non-public renters and preparing, supported Denise’s stance and said: “Being in B&Bs in particular as a household is the worst situation for that relatives, so I think the driver is not just federal government stress on us, it’s unquestionably politically it’s a priority. I really don’t want families dwelling in resorts at all, if attainable.”