Cabinet approves Bridgend County Borough Council’s Housing Support Programme Strategy
The Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council has approved the Housing Support Programme Strategy 2022 – 2026 which will be subsequently submitted to Welsh Government.
In line with Welsh Government guidance, the strategy was informed by a comprehensive review of homelessness which has highlighted an unprecedented need for homelessness services and suitable housing.
The review, carried out by an independent consultant, revealed how the total number of applicants on the Common Housing Register at the end of each year since 2019 has increased substantially. There were 816 applicants from 2019 – 2020, between 2020 – 2021 the number had increased by 81 per cent to 1,477. During 2021 – 2022 the figure had risen by a further 45 per cent to 2,143. On July 4, 2023, there were 2,629 applicants on the register.
Other figures indicate how the use of temporary accommodation has grown exponentially from pre-Covid levels, with single person households consistently making up a significant portion of applications. The high demand for homelessness services and housing is compounded by a lack of private properties available to rent at an affordable rate for those reliant on help from Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
In July 2023 Cabinet approved a 12-week public consultation on the draft Housing Support Programme Strategy and Action Plan, with 81.3 per cent of online responses agreeing with the proposed aims of the strategy.
Council Leader, Huw David, said: “Our five year plan to address the current challenge of homelessness adopts a varied, yet targeted approach. It ranges from aiming to increase the provision of affordable and social housing, to working in partnership with other agencies to prevent homelessness.
“Our Housing Support Programme Strategy has considered all angles in tackling homelessness across the county borough over the coming years, with the goal of making homelessness rare, brief and unrepeated. However, our strategy is placed against the backdrop of current, significant budget pressures, which could impact its delivery.
“Despite these financial challenges, the ending of homelessness is a key priority for the council. However, this is a shared priority, with all public services and the third sector having a role to play, working together to prevent homelessness. Partnership working will be at the heart of everything we do.”