More than 1500 Shropshire households threatened with homelessness last year

Annual figures released this month showed a 25 per cent jump in the numbers of people being assessed for homeless support with the figure rising from 1,234 in 2022/23 to 1,537 this financial year.

In April, a paper on Shropshire Council’s draft homelessness prevention strategy revealed that, in addition to those formally presenting as homeless, a further 2,000 people had contacted their housing options team for advice.

According to the council, more than 100 people are currently living in B&Bs in the county while waiting for more permanent accommodation.

However the authority says despite the increasing pressures on services, the use of temporary accommodation has fallen by 10 per cent, while the number of people in bed and breakfast accommodation has dropped by 30 per cent.

Earlier this year Shropshire Council agreed plans to convert former student flats at the Tannery in Shrewsbury to help meet the demand for emergency accommodation in the county, which it says will help to save £1m per year in B&B costs.

Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for housing Dean Carroll said the council was hoping to “largely eliminate” the use of B&B’s as emergency temporary accommodation.

“In response to this, we have developed robust plans to significantly reduce reliance on B&Bs over the next six months,” he said.

“Developments at the Tannery, Coton Hill House, Parish Rooms, and other sites will deliver around 100 units of temporary accommodation. These efforts aim to largely eliminate the use of B&Bs as temporary housing solutions in Shropshire.

“Additionally, I would like to highlight the financial strain we face in meeting these needs. While we receive £92.31 per week from the Government to place someone in a B&B, the actual cost ranges from £50 to £100 per night. This discrepancy underscores the need for increased financial assistance to enable us to fulfill our statutory duties and support the growing demand for temporary accommodation.

“Everyone’s continued support and understanding are crucial as we navigate these challenges and strive to provide better housing solutions for the people of Shropshire.”

Nationally, the statistics painted a bleak picture, showing record numbers of households in temporary accommodation and rising numbers of rough sleepers with the new UK Government saying the country faces the “worst housing crisis in living history.”

Around 200,000 people in England were assessed as homeless in the past year, with around half that number unable to secure permanent accommodation after 56 days.

“These numbers are more than just statistics. They show the devastating impact homelessness has on peoples’ lives and it is shocking that so many, including families with children, are spending years without a place to call home,” said UK Government Minister for Homelessness Rushanara Ali.

“We are reversing the worst housing crisis in living history by building 1.5 million new homes and are changing the law to abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions – immediately tackling one of the leading causes of homelessness. In addition, we’ve announced a new dedicated cross government group, tasked with creating a long-term strategy to end the disgraceful levels of homelessness.”