Homelessness Bill Passes As Temporary Accommodation Numbers Rise

The Homelessness Reduction Bill cleared its third and final reading in the House of Lords – as new figures confirm the number of households in temporary accommodation in England rose by 10% over the course of 2016 to 75,740 up 58% on the low of 48,010 on 31 December 2010. The CLG figures confirm councils accepted 14,420 households as being statutorily homeless between October-December last year – down 3% on the previous quarter and down 0.4% on the same quarter of last year. These are households that are owed a main homelessness duty to secure accommodation as a result of being unintentionally homeless and in priority need. Read more on 24housing.

Investment Enables Offices to Homes Conversion

A Bristol community group set up to convert empty office buildings into affordable housing has secured a £425,000 mortgage to fund its first scheme. Abolish Empty Office Buildings (AEOB), a community benefit society launched in 2013, has already raised around £300,000 from a community share offer to purchase a property in East Bristol. It is now able to start building work after being given a mortgage from Triodos Bank this week. The property will be refitted and extended to create six flats capable of housing up to 10 residents. The first tenants are expected to move into secure rented accommodation before the end of 2016. AEOB wants to raise a total £400,000 through community shares to “expedite repayment of the loan”, before looking to develop further sites. Read more on the AEOB website.