Using general needs council housing as temporary accommodation consultation
Introduction
Bristol has around 21,600 households on HomeChoice Bristol (the Bristol Housing Register) waiting to be allocated a home. We have around 27,000 social housing properties in total and we're working hard to increase this, but the number of people who need social housing is also going up.
'General needs' council homes are for people on HomeChoice Bristol (the Bristol Housing Register) - either already housed or on the waiting list, waiting to move to a more suitable property. 'Temporary accommodation' provides somewhere to stay for people who are vulnerable and in a housing emergency. Temporary accommodation is used while the council assesses a household’s homelessness application and, after this, while they wait for a more permanent home if they meet certain legal thresholds. We're committed to providing safe, secure and suitable temporary accommodation for those who need it.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of households in temporary accommodation has grown significantly in Bristol and across the UK and the cost has also escalated. The amount we receive from national government to cover the cost of temporary accommodation has been frozen since 2011, meaning there's a growing funding shortfall the council needs to meet. We need to find new ways to provide more temporary accommodation that's more affordable.
What we are proposing
Of the homes that become available for letting in our stock of 'general needs' housing, we propose to transfer up to 18 homes each month to be used for temporary accommodation. This will provide homes for people in a housing emergency while the council assess their housing needs, and they wait for a more permanent home. We propose to do this for a period of two years, with a review after one year.
We will not use new-build homes for temporary accommodation. All new-build homes will be available for general needs lettings.
Closed for feedback
Ended: 1 October 2024
What happens next
All responses to this consultation were analysed. The feedback was used to help develop final proposals to transfer general housing to temporary accommodation.
A decision to approve the final proposals was made by Bristol City Council's Homes and Housing Delivery committee in December 2024. In making their decision, the committee considered the report of consultation responses.
Further information
Temporary accommodation
Temporary accommodation is housing provided to some households who have no other accommodation available to them during a statutory homelessness assessment. If the assessment finds that we must secure housing for a household by law, they may be accommodated in temporary accommodation until longer term housing is available to them.
Who gets temporary accommodation
- Households going through a homelessness assessment who have nowhere else to live
- Some households who have had a housing duty awarded after their assessment and have nowhere else to live until longer term housing is available to them
Why some people might need temporary accommodation
Under the homelessness law, a person, couple or family may need temporary accommodation if:
- they're found to be homeless (not intentionally homeless)
- they're entitled to housing help
- they have a local connection to Bristol
- they have a priority need for housing and have no other accommodation available to them
Some of the main reasons that people need temporary accommodation include:
- being told to leave by family members or friends
- being evicted by a private landlord
- escaping domestic abuse
Other ways we could meet the need for temporary accommodation
We're looking at several longer-term opportunities to reduce how much public money we spend on temporary accommodation. These include:
- working with the private rented sector
- increasing our work with local Housing Associations
- working to reduce the number of households needing temporary accommodation in the first place through early prevention
Using council homes as temporary accommodation
Our 2024 pilot showed that using council homes as temporary accommodation means that:
- accommodation is better managed
- residents are better supported
- the accommodation is far cheaper than many of the current options available to us
Effect of this proposal on the wait for a general needs home
This proposal may have an impact on the housing waiting list. However, our acute financial challenge means we must make difficult decisions to reduce any loss of public money. By using homes we already own, we can reduce the spend on expensive temporary accommodation while providing safe homes for those facing a housing emergency.
- This proposal affects Bristol City Council housing, not the approximately 600 lettings per year provided through HomeChoice Bristol by our partner housing associations.
- The proposal is to use up to 18 homes available per month for temporary accommodation. There will usually be around 40 or more available for those waiting.
- We'll also be developing a range of other temporary accommodation options, including building and acquiring new homes.
- We're focusing on homelessness prevention, to reduce the need for temporary accommodation in the first place.
- We're working hard to help more households get affordable privately rented homes, rather than needing temporary accommodation.
Key dates
- Start date: 20 August 2024
- End date: 1 October 2024