Council’s cash boost to help the homeless

Hastings Borough Council (HBC) has led a successful bid to the government for money to help reduce homelessness across East Sussex.

It applied for a grant from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Accessing the Private Rented Sector initiative on behalf of Eastbourne, Lewes, Rother and Wealden Councils. The project will work with people who need housing find a new home in the private sector. The project team will also then give support to those households to help reduce the risk of them becoming homeless in the future.

The scheme also provides funding for a rent guarantor pilot.

Hastings Borough Council

Andy Batsford, lead councillor for housing said: “There has been a large increase in the number of individuals and families living in temporary housing in Hastings, and the length of time people spend living there. This has cost the councils a considerable amount of money and affects the quality of life of the people living in this type of accommodation.

“There is a lot of competition for private rented housing, and people can find it difficult to get offers of housing for many reasons. The council is working to improve this, and this successful bid will undoubtedly help.”

In February, the council also agreed to give some of its flexible homelessness support grant to provide rent in advance and deposits. They have also set aside funding for a project which will help people keep their existing home, where possible, and avoid being placed in temporary housing.

Reducing rough sleeping will be a key part of the council’s new Housing and Homelessness Strategy, which is due to be adopted later this year and on Monday members of HBC’s cabinet will be given a detailed report of projects planned for the next year that will reduce the number of people sleeping rough in the town

  • The cabinet will hear that HBC has won
  • £310,000 for the Rapid Rehoming Pathway project
  • £824843 to continue the Hastings and Eastbourne Rough Sleping Initiative in 2019/20

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