Short-term accommodation for homeless people is set to be built in Kidderminster

Wyre Forest District Council (WFDC) have approved short-term accommodation to be built for the homeless in Kidderminster.

After completing some research, WFDC officers discovered households with poor health, education and employment were staying in B&Bs, costing local authorities a lot of money.  

The new residential block will be situated in an underused car park in New Street and will enable the council to reduce its use of bed and breakfast accommodation, saving them ‘a large amount of funding’ according to WFDC officers.   

Cllr Nicky Martin, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Health, Wellbeing and Democratic Services said: ‘Delivering new accommodation supports the council’s strategic action to increase affordable housing.

‘It will help people affected by homelessness return to a life of self-sustaining independence including obtaining or maintaining employment, progressing with education or training and reconnecting with family, friends and the community.’

The increase in people affected by homelessness is a growing issue for local authorities across England.  

Latest government figures for 2020/21 show the total spent on temporary accommodation for the homeless was £1.3bn while the total expenditure on B&B accommodation for homeless households was £444.4m.

Of the £444.4m local authorities in England spent £188.3m of funding from council budgets placing homeless households in bed and breakfasts.

Mark Davis, Partnerships Director at Public Sector Plc said: ‘In 2020/21 councils across England spent £188m of their funding to tackle this issue, which is a 605% increase on the £26.7m they spent in 2010/11.

‘Many councils have underused assets such as care parks and offices which can be developed or converted to deliver new, high-quality housing for people affected by homelessness.’

Research conducted by Knight Frank, an independent UK real estate consultancy, in 2020 found developing 15% of public-sector owned car parks could unlock the construction of 110,000 new homes.

The Accommodation set to be built in Kidderminster will be in the form of 20 ensuite apartments, including seven with double bedrooms, seven with single beds and six flats for disabled people.

Building work for the new short-term scheme is due to start in late 2022 and should be completed in autumn 2023.

Visit here to read more about what should be done to help the homeless. 

Photo by Gerrie van der Walt