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Liverpool is moving forward with plans to establish a new temporary housing facility specifically for homeless individuals, reinforcing the city’s broader strategy to reduce homelessness. The local Cabinet is set to approve a two-year contract, which will fund on-site support services for up to 49 single-person households, providing low to medium levels of assistance. This initiative is projected to save around £1.8 million annually by cutting down on costly hotel accommodation expenses.
These on-site support services will offer professional help focused on health and employment, helping residents to overcome challenges so they may transition smoothly into permanent housing solutions. This new provision complements a range of existing services already in place throughout Liverpool, such as outreach programs run by the Whitechapel Centre, a winter night assessment hub, and the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP), which ensures homeless people find shelter during cold weather.
The proposed contract forms a key part of a wider effort to manage homelessness and reduce the temporary accommodation costs faced by the city. In parallel, Liverpool is providing £7.3 million in grants to private landlords as an incentive to refurbish and return 365 unused properties to the rental market, potentially saving the city an estimated £13.3 million in temporary housing expenditure. The council has also committed an extra £1.9 million to overhaul the Housing Solutions Service, with plans to launch a dedicated Housing Solutions hub. This hub will handle the increased number of homelessness applications and improve early intervention and prevention, featuring specialized roles for vulnerable groups including young people, survivors of domestic abuse, rough sleepers, and refugees.
Additionally, the government has boosted Liverpool’s funding for rough sleeping prevention and recovery from £1.7 million to £3.1 million. Other ongoing measures include expanding temporary accommodation capacity with extra rooms, flexible winter funding for urgent needs and staffing, services tailored for those with complex requirements, short-term dispersed accommodation options, and a private sector rent deposit or advance rent scheme estimated to benefit around 80 individuals. Collaborative efforts continue as staff from the Night Assessment Hub and Housing Solutions Service work alongside the Whitechapel Centre to maximize support for those in need.
Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Hetty Wood, emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating, “Having a roof over your head is a basic human right but sadly in Liverpool – as with the rest of the country – we have seen many more people presenting as homeless in the last couple of years due to the cost of living crisis.” She added, “The accommodation will enable us to deliver a wraparound service for homeless people to help support them in addressing issues or challenges they may have, and assist them into appropriate permanent accommodation.” Councillor Wood concluded by highlighting the broader goal of this plan: “It’s part of our wider homelessness action plan which aims to reduce our reliance on hotels and B&Bs and bring empty homes back into use for people who are on the housing waiting list.”
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