Growing issues related to homelessness across Bridgend county borough continue to be felt this year, according to a recent report which was given to councillors. It came at a scrutiny committee meeting held this month, where members heard about the key housing and homelessness challenges the council is facing, as the number of people using the services continue to rise.
Figures within the report highlighted how temporary accommodation placements had grown “exponentially” in recent years, rising from 83 households in 2019-20 to 248 households by this October. This represents a 199% increase during that time.
Officers noted this rise had led to significant cost pressures for the local authority, with net spend on temporary accommodation rising from just over £135,000 in 2019-20 to more than £3m by the end of 2023-24. Elsewhere, figures showed the wider demand for social housing had also increased, with 816 households on Bridgend’s Common Housing Register at the end of 2019-20 compared to 3,254 households by the end of this September.
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Members at scrutiny asked what the plan was for the “bleak picture” as the pressures related to homelessness continue to be felt by local authorities across the country. For the latest Bridgend news, sign up to our newsletter here
Speaking at the meeting, officers said while it was a big challenge, they are working on a number of initiatives set out to help meet the need with the council’s Housing Support Programme, which was approved in 2023. These included the creation of 1,711 affordable dwellings in the local development plan, along with the authority’s plans to purchase its own HMO sites, and reducing the number of empty homes in the area to contribute towards housing availability.
Other plans included the use of a leasing scheme which enables the authority to lease properties from private landlords, as well as the re-opening of the council-owned Maple House which would increase the council’s stock of temporary accommodation. Following the meeting councillors noted the report as well as deciding to write to the Welsh Government to restart group meetings with other local authorities where pressures with homelessness could be discussed.
Cllr Neelo Farr also thanked officers for their work, saying: “I think the report highlights what the council is doing to tackle homelessness and ensure that everybody’s got a home.” For the latest Bridgend news, sign up to our newsletter here