Hastings area to get millions to tackle homeless crisis

Hastings Borough Council will receive £4.8 million and Rother District Council will receive £1 million as part of the wider package announced in the Autumn Budget.

This money will directly fund critical services to prevent homelessness and support people into secure, stable housing - helping those at risk of homelessness to pay deposits and negotiate with landlords, reducing the overall need for temporary accommodation.

Councils will now be better equipped to step in early to stop households becoming homeless in the first place. This includes mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, help find new homes, and deposits to access private renting.

With the worst housing crisis in living memory, too many households are forced into homelessness. Hastings has the highest proportion of homeless children (1 in 28) who are growing up in temporary accommodation of any local authority outside of London.

Many homeless families are living in B&Bs or nightly-let accommodation. Many of these places lack basic facilities, leaving parents struggling to cook healthy meals for their children while councils bear the mounting financial strain.

Helena Dollimore said: “Our local housing crisis is holding our community back. I welcome this increased funding for Hastings and Rye which is just one element of the Government’s Plan for Change to fix the housing crisis, strengthen protections and rights for renters, and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable houses in a generation.”

“I am proud that the Labour government is getting on with this vital work reforming Britain’s housing sector by committing to building more homes, as well as banning Section 21 no-fault evictions to affirm renters’ rights – something the Conservatives avoided doing for 14 years in power.”

“This Labour government was elected to tackle the housing crisis with a mandate to build the homes our community desperately needs, including the biggest expansion of social housing in a generation.”

Leader of the Labour Group of Hastings Borough Council, Cllr Margi O'Callaghan said: “I’m so pleased that new Labour government has given this emergency support to Hastings to tackle rough sleeping during the winter. The money is going to be life saving for many.”

“This largest-ever investment marks a turning point, giving councils the tools they need to act quickly and put in place support for people to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness. Our town is full of brownfield sites that could be homes for local families, which are currently sitting derelict.”