Case studies

Region: Central Theme: Regeneration, Integrated Public Services

On 23 March the Government issued a directive to all councils to temporarily house all rough sleepers during the pandemic to keep them safe. Southend-on-Sea Borough Council placed 89 rough sleepers in hotel and B&B accommodation in just two days and housed a total of 138 across the entire period of lockdown.

"To date, the council has already found safe accommodation for 14 of the rough sleepers that have been staying at the Great Western Hotel"

Given the complexity and depth of the problems it faces, Blackpool council takes a multi-faceted approach to the private rented sector.

Boston Borough Council has long worked closely with its neighbouring districts and the county council.

The private rented sector has grown considerably over the last two decades and following a stock modelling survey undertaken by the Building Research Establishment, accounts for approximately 29 per cent of the stock (over 58,000 properties).

The current housing and homelessness strategy (2019-2024) has as one its four core themes ‘improving the use of existing homes’.

The overall focus of the council’s policy is to improve the health and well-being of tenants in the private rented stock, as well as tackling the issues of poverty and deprivation faced by communities.

Work by housing and police officers in visiting targeted properties, talking with the occupants and assessing the conditions uncovered a range of criminal activity and poor conditions, including exploitation, fraud, sham marriages and human trafficking.

The council plan, which is at the consultation stage, includes commitments to take effective action to tackle poor housing conditions and anti-social behaviour in the private sector as well as a focus on adopting a multi-agency approach in, for instance, the Oxford Street neighbourhood.