Over 100 councils to attend emergency summit in Eastbourne to discuss ‘social and financial crisis’

Hosted by Eastbourne Borough Council and the District Councils’ Network, this summit on Tuesday, October 31, aims to share insight from the councils attending and will result in a joint cross-party letter to the government ahead of the Autumn Statement urging immediate action.

Councillor Stephen Holt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said: “The situation is stark.

“Councils provide a safety net for the most vulnerable people who need our help, and that safety net is at real risk of failing.

“Figures from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have shown that the cost of temporary accommodation to local authorities reached 1.7 billion last year and is increasing rapidly. This is wholly unsustainable for councils, and the situation is now critical.”

The summit will explore solutions from the government, including:

Increase Local Housing Allowance rates for private rented accommodation

Develop policy to stimulate retention and supply in the privately rented sector

Review the housing benefit subsidy rate for local authority homelessness placements

Give district councils the powers, funding, and resources needed to increase the supply of social housing

Increase the level of Discretionary Housing Payment and Homelessness Prevention Grant

Councillor Hannah Dalton, the District Councils’ Network spokesperson for health, housing and hardship, said: “Across the country, we are experiencing a spiralling tide of need, driven by a severe shortage of social housing, the cost of living crisis, and an unstable and unaffordable private rented sector. This means as district councils, we are placing an unprecedented number of people in temporary accommodation, which is cripplingly expensive for councils and unsuitable for residents.

“Districts are vital to preventing homelessness and providing resolution when our residents are faced with no alternative. Without urgent intervention, the very existence of this safety net is under threat.

“We are therefore calling on the government to act now and urgently adopt our five asks ahead of the Autumn Statement. While these alone will not end homelessness, they will go a long way in reducing the number of families in temporary accommodation and the series of challenges that come with this.”