Temporary housing residents in Plymouth nearly doubles

Up 75 per cent in three years

The number of households living in temporary accommodation in Plymouth has increase by 75 per cent in less than three years and figures for households in B&Bs have almost trebled in the same period. 

Data revealed at the council’s health and wellbeing board last week also showed more than twice as many families staying in B&B accommodation compared to just 10 months ago. 

By February 284 households  were in temporary accommodation and 34 families staying in B&Bs.

The Plymouth Alliance is contracted by Plymouth City Council to support people who are homelessness or may have particular support needs.

Matt Garrett, service director for community connections for Plymouth City Council explained some of the key reasons for the dramatic rise in demand for housing and the role of the Plymouth Alliance in resolving the problem.

“The three main reasons in Plymouth for homelessness are still and have been the same for the last few years,” said Mr Garrett.

“They’re relationship breakdown and leaving family and friends as our number one, domestic abuse and then the ending of a private rented tenancy through the use of Section 21s.” 

A Section 21 is the formal notice given by a landlord to begin the process of taking possession of a property.  It normally means the tenant will need to find a new home. 

Mr Garrett added that the relaxation of covid restrictions was among the reasons for an increase in homelessness.

“As we come out of the pandemic we’ve had a number of things happen and they are all leading to more homelessness at the moment,” he said

“The main one really is the end of the eviction moratorium. 

“So, there was a stay placed on evictions and as we come out of the pandemic that stay has been lifted and obviously that means we are seeing more people coming through the front door as homeless.” 

Mr Garrett explained that The Alliance was working hard to tackle the rapidly increasing problem and outlined what was being done. 

“It’s things like our prevention fund, how we use that, how we intervene to try and prevent homelessness. 

“It’s about our information and advice. It’s about how we make sure that people have the right information, advice to prevent their own homelessness.”

Cllr Dr Pam Buchan (Labour, Honicknowle) asked for further clarification on what was meant by prevention.  

“I could see it being prevention if somebody’s in a challenging situation, and they’re picked up through a different service and that tries to be resolved before that person ends up walking out the door, for example,” she said.

But she added that homelessness can happen for other reasons too. 

“I feel like maybe it’s wider than that because clearly providing a home for somebody who is coming into homelessness is a prevention of homelessness as well.”

Mr Garrett admitted it was complicated situation. 

“What we need to understand at the moment is that the situation in Plymouth – the housing market in Plymouth – has changed dramatically over the last six-to-nine months,” he explained.  

“Private sector rents have gone up, the cost of home ownership has gone up, the cost of private sector rents have gone up.

“So that means people are finding it harder to access accommodation and that means there are more people that will become homeless because of that.”

“There are too many people in bed and breakfast, including families, and they’re there for too long. 

The Alliance aims to provide temporary private sector accommodation for families.  

It is unable to offer permanent homes because they are obliged to have a range of term provided on a statutory basis. 

Mr Garrett said it wasn’t just families who were being help.

“For singles, they’re in a range of accommodation from right from our hostels right through to shared housing,” he said. 

Plymouth City Council currently has 9,000 households on its housing register. The city’s Homelessness Prevention Partnership Executive lists a number of key priorities. 

These include tackling and preventing homelessness by focussing on prevention and early intervention to reduce homelessness, tackling rough sleeping and improving housing conditions for those in private rented housing.