Official data released last week showed councils across England spent more than ever before on tackling homelessness, forcing many councils into bankruptcy with the surge in temporary accommodation.
BBC News visited Hastings in East Sussex where 500 families are in temporary accommodation, a situation that threatens to bankrupt the local council. According to locals, housing prices have almost doubled in Hastings over the past decade, leading to more private rents and an increase in the number of families needing temporary accommodation.
The local council will spend £5.6m housing families in temporary accommodation this financial year, a quarter of its budget. Chris Hancock, director of housing at the council, says that there is a strong risk that this could put the council into bankruptcy.
Adding to the problem are the 900 properties that are available for short-term let on sites like Airbnb.
The Grumpy Café is a not-for-profit café in Hastings, helping locals with ever-increasing needs, particularly those facing homelessness. Keira Boorman, 19, who works at the café, has been living in a one-bedroom flat with her 19-month-old daughter since she became homeless. The flat is too small and she can’t afford the high rental costs in the area. Despite working, Boorman has little hope of finding a place to rent without a guarantor.
“It breaks my heart to see the conditions they’re living in,” said café owner, Barry Ashley, referring to the situation of half of the café’s staff who are in temporary accommodation. The not-for-profit café is helping by feeding families living in temporary circumstances – many of whom don’t have cooking facilities in their rooms
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