The number of children in Bed and Breakfasts (B&Bs) this Christmas has been cut by 90% from last year, thanks to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council’s partnership working to reduce homelessness and the need for emergency accommodation.
At present, there are eight families and a total of 16 children in bed and breakfast accommodation locally. On 25 December 2023 there were 84 families and 164 children.
This significant reduction is a result of BCP Council working together, alongside the Homelessness Partnership, to improve options for those at risk of becoming homeless.
Councillor Kieron Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services at BCP Council, stated:
“At the start of the year, we set out to reduce and ultimately end our reliance on Bed and Breakfast accommodation. It is the most challenging form of accommodation to live in and families simply do not have the facilities or conditions to thrive. It is the last resort, and our dependence on it was costly to the mental health and welfare of those living in it.
“Knowing that instead of 164 children spending Christmas Day in a B&B room, as few as 16 will be, is a genuine source of pride for us. And whilst we believe that 16 children are 16 too many, it is over a 90% reduction, in a context where the use of B&Bs nationally is rising instead of reducing. So, I can only thank all those involved in making this happen.
“It is however by no means the end of our work; it is only the beginning. We will continue with partners across the conurbation to support families and individuals at risk of homelessness, with our aim of giving everyone a safe place they can call home.”
The reduction shows that our early intervention and targeted prevention actions, along with our ambitious programme of acquiring new temporary homes, are positively impacting outcomes.
By working with residents early on, we can address and prevent issues that could lead to future homelessness, helping them stay in their homes and communities. This proactive approach has successfully prevented homelessness for many at-risk individuals.
BCP Council has also increased the number of council-owned properties through planned acquisitions, as well as continuing to work in partnership with our housing association partners to deliver much-needed long-term homes.
This work meets one of the commitments of BCP Council and BCP Homelessness Partnership’s homelessness and rough sleeping strategy, which is to reduce dependency on inappropriate B&B accommodation.
Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, and this can include concerns about the potential risk of homelessness. If you need support or advice, please contact our housing advice team on 01202 123 147 or email [email protected].
Advice and information can also be found on the Homelessness Partnership website: www.hpbcp.org
You can read more about the work BCP Council are doing to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping here: https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/housing/homelessness-and-rough-sleeping/how-were-helping-with-homelessness
