Chichester District Council to spend £1m on housing and homelessness projects
Chichester District Council is to spend £1m across a number of projects in its Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-30.
The use of the money – which has already been reserved for the Strategy – was approved during a meeting of the council on Tuesday (September 22).
The projects include £300,000 for the setting up of Pinewood House, in Answorth Close, for use as short-term housing for 51 homeless people.
Oona Hickson, cabinet member for housing and revenue and benefits, said she wished there was no need for a Strategy – but, with things like the need for temporary accommodation rising, it remains necessary.
She added: “We have a growing need for temporary accommodation. And what we’re trying to do is control those costs by bringing some of that in-house.”
Another £100,000 in both 2026/27 and 2027/28 will be used to top up the homelessness prevention fund. And £126,000 will be used in both years to support residents in the private sector with improvements to reduce carbon emissions and improve Energy Performance Certificates. This will be on top of £138,000 already spent from the reserve in 2025/26.
Money will also go towards road shows to raise awareness of housing matters across the district, and initiatives for tenants in temporary accommodation.
The sharp rise in the need for temporary housing for individuals, couples and families is very much a nationwide trend driven by pressures such as the cost‑of‑living crisis.
In it’s annual report, published in July, the council stated that 91 households were in nightly paid temporary accommodation, such as bed and breakfast.