Nottingham City Council has confirmed that no homeless families with children are expected to be staying in a B & B in Nottingham this Christmas.
The Council has been working hard to ensure that it would not need to temporarily accommodate any children in a B & B by the end of 2018. By Christmas Eve, that target had been achieved.
Earlier this month, homeless charity Shelter highlighted the scale of the problem nationally with an estimated 130,000 children in temporary accommodation and 10,000 expected to wake up on Christmas Day in a B & B.
Councillor Linda Woodings, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, said: “Until three years ago we had not had to use Bed & Breakfasts for over a decade. However a combination of Government austerity and welfare changes has contributed to a significant rise in homelessness right across the country in the last few years.
“By October this year, there were over 100 households in Nottingham who had to be temporarily placed in B & Bs, of which two-thirds were families with children. But we were determined to bring this number down to zero by the end of the year.
“I’m pleased to say that as things stand on Christmas Eve, the Council’s Housing Aid service has no children currently accommodated in B & Bs. In fact, no homeless person of any age is currently placed in a B & B by the Council.”
“We have been working hard to ensure there is enough alternative accommodation for homeless families in hostels, social housing or private housing which is much more suitable than a B & B.”
Thanks to generous donations from the public, the Council will be providing all children in temporary accommodation with Christmas presents this year.