Bedford council spends millions on B&Bs for homeless

Bedford Borough Council spent millions of pounds on housing homeless people in bed and breakfasts last year, new figures show.

Housing and homelessness charity Shelter said families are being pushed into homelessness and living in "awful" temporary accommodation across the country due to unaffordable rent and lack of social homes.

But the council says demand is outstripping supply at the moment and confirmed that it is currently in the process of acquiring its own housing stock.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures shows Bedford council spent £6.6 million on temporary homeless housing in the year to March, down from £7.7 million the year before.

Bed and breakfasts accounted for a significant amount of spending with £2.6 million paid – 39% of the total expenditure for temporary accommodation last year.

Last year's spending is higher than the amount spent five years ago when £1.6 million was put towards temporary homeless accommodation in the area – equating to a real-terms increase of 271%.

A Bedford Borough Council spokesperson said: “Like many local authorities, we are presented with significant costs to provide temporary accommodation of a reasonable quality to address homelessness. Whilst we are acquiring our own housing stock to use as temporary accommodation, demand is outstripping supply and resulting in an increase in both nightly lets, as well as hotels and B&Bs.

“Further central government investment through the Local Housing Allowance and housing benefits is vitally needed to help protect people from the risk of homelessness.”

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Homelessness is bad for the economy and it’s even worse for the people whose lives it destroys.

“It defies all logic to shell out over £1.6 billion on grim B&Bs and grotty flats, instead of helping people to keep hold of their home in the first place."

Ms Neate added housing benefit – which assists people who are unemployed, low-income, or on other benefits to pay rent – has been frozen since 2020 "despite private rents rocketing".

She added: "This gaping hole in our country’s safety net is throwing families needlessly into homelessness and trapping them in awful temporary accommodation because they can’t afford private rentals and there are barely any social homes.

"Allowing homelessness to rise unchecked during the cost-of-living crisis, will only cost more in the long run.”

She said housing benefit must be unfrozen so people can better pay rent – and added the Government must build "truly affordable" social homes to end homelessness.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said it is providing councils with £316 million this year to prevent homelessness.

They added: “Temporary accommodation is a last resort, but a vital lifeline for those at risk of sleeping rough.

“We know people are concerned about rising costs, which is why have announced the Energy Price Guarantee, to support household with their energy bills over the winter, and a further £37 billion of support for those struggling with the cost of living.”