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09
Sept
Council reveals £18 million plans for more temporary homes in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Council is proposing to spend over £18 million on building 112 temporary homes for homeless people.
A report reveals the council previously planned to provide 90 temporary properties for the homeless over four years to 2028/29, at a cost of £11.6 million.
But it is now thought this will not be enough, as the local authority seeks to reduce its reliance on expensive hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Its emergency housing spend has increased by more than 400% since 2019/20.
The report idenifies Harrogate as an area in particular need of temporary homes due to underprovision.
The council claims that once fully delivered, the programme could save up to £2.7 million a year in emergency accommodation costs.
There are currently 191 purpose-built and converted temporary accommodation units, some owned and managed by the council, but they are not distributed evenly across North Yorkshire, and there is a shortage of smaller properties suitable for individuals and couples.
Over the last two years of this project a total of 20 new units have been delivered and are now occupied, including one in Ripon. The average costs per home has been £186,500.
There are a further 40 projects currently being worked on to enable them to be occupied.
Cllr Simon Myers, the council's Conservative executive member for housing, said:
Everyone deserves access to safe, secure and suitable accommodation when they are facing difficult circumstances. The demand for homelessness support and temporary accommodation has increased significantly in recent years, and we are seeing a growing need for smaller one-bedroom homes.
We remain committed to supporting vulnerable households while reducing our reliance on hotel and B&B accommodation, which comes at a significant cost to the taxpayer.
By increasing our delivery programme, we can provide more people with appropriate accommodation as part of a long-term solution, while continuing our commitment to preventing homelessness and rough sleeping.
The proposals are due to be considered by Tory council leader Carl Les and his cabinet on Tuesday next week (September 15).
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