Huge drop in the number of people in Doncaster being housed in emergency accommodation

In data which will be presented to councillors next week, the number of days people spent in emergency housing fell from 1,166 nights between April and June 2018 to just 41 in the same period in 2019.

In the same time frame, 81 households - 50 with children - were placed into bed and breakfast accommodation. This fell to 18 households - 10 with children.

The quarter two figures in 2018 was described as the ‘highest activity levels ever experienced’.

St Leger Homes and Doncaster Council bosses have said to have worked more closely together in increasing prevention and interventions to stop people going into emergency housing.

Local authority bosses also noted additional resources from government departments in terms of grants to assist in accessing the private rented sector.

This was said to provide a ‘better alternative’ to temporary placements allowing people to move on quicker when needed.

Although the number of nights in B&B increased in July from June 2019, stats show it decreased again in August, and September, with just one night, was the lowest in-month number since reporting began in October 2017.

The total number of nights households spent in B&B during the first half of this year was 108 nights compared with 1,044 nights over the same period last year.

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Nigel Feirn, head of finance and business assurance at St. Leger Homes, said: “Bed & breakfast accommodation is only used as a last resort where no other suitable property is available.

“To reduce the use of B&B, we have increased the use of general needs stock for temporary accommodation.

“At the end of Q2, there were 80 properties in use for temporary accommodation and is higher than the 60 budgeted for 2019/20.”

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