Most people are already homeless by the time they ask Bedford council for help

A briefing for the Housing Committee (Wednesday, June 17) states that around 200 homeless households approach the service each month.

The report says that only 8% of the council’s current homelessness caseload consists of households owed a prevention duty, while 92% are already homeless and owed either a relief duty or a main housing duty.

It adds that “the vast majority” of households are first known to the housing service “at the crisis point when they become homeless”, leaving little opportunity to prevent homelessness before it occurs.

Nationally, 40% of cases are typically prevention duty owed so “Bedford is significantly below the national trend”, the report said.

The Housing Committee will be told that the council received 2,397 approaches for homelessness assistance during 2025-26, compared with 2,369 during 2024-25.

The report states that homelessness was prevented in 214 cases during 2025-26, a 15% increase on the previous year.

This represented 7% of case outcomes, compared with 5.4% in 2024-25.

The top five reasons for homelessness in were:

>Loss of private sector tenancy

>Family or friends no longer willing to accommodate

>Domestic abuse

>Eviction from supported housing

>End of social rented tenancy

A new housing ‘early help’ team has been created with a view to taking on cases for homeless prevention that have been identified early and referred in.

Recruitment is in progress for a team leader and five officers, with funding via the homelessness prevention resettlement grant and the roles will include casework and outreach

The Housing Committee is due to discuss the report on June 17. If residents have questions on this report, or how the council handles homelessness, they can email them to [email protected] by noon on the day of the meeting.