Council Loses 131 Temporary Accommodation Homes to Private Landlords
Lewisham Council faces a housing crisis as 131 temporary homes are returned to landlords
Lewisham, UK, Temporary Accommodation, Homelessness, Housing Crisis
Lewisham: The council is in a bit of a pickle after losing over 100 temporary homes last year. Landlords are asking for their properties back, and it’s causing a real headache.
They went from 854 homes to just 698 in a year. That’s a big drop, and it’s mostly because landlords want their places back. It’s a tough situation for everyone involved.
A recent report shows that more landlords are pulling their properties from the council. The economic downturn and rising rents are pushing them to make these choices.
Now, the council is relying more on nightly paid accommodation, which is the priciest option for emergency housing. The number of these accommodations has nearly doubled since 2021.
With 2,826 households currently in temporary accommodation, the demand is high. Last year, there were almost 3,900 applications for help, which is up from the previous year.
To tackle this, the council is trying to secure more properties. They’ve set a goal to get 200 leased homes by March 2025, but so far, they’ve only managed to bring in 49.
Even with a new £1 billion funding from the government to help with homelessness, a lot of it can’t be used for temporary accommodation. It’s a tough spot for councils across London, which are spending millions daily on temporary housing.
In fact, they’re expected to overspend their budgets by a whopping £270 million this coming year. It’s a challenging time for Lewisham and many other councils trying to keep up with the housing crisis.