Pendle has seen a large rise in the number of people facing homelessness and who need temporary shelter, impacting both individuals and families and costing the local council thousands of pounds. At the same time, some vacant homes are standing empty over long periods, councillors say.
A young mum-and-baby ‘with only a kettle and a bottle warmer’ and a person with a learning disabilities who had financial worries and faced eviction were highlighted as two cases of vulnerable people needing help at the latest full Pendle Council meeting.
Homelessness was the focus a motion calling for action by Lib-Dem councillors Dorothy Lord and Chris Church. The described a ‘huge increase’ in the need for temporary accommodation in Pendle in recent years. The number of people affected had grown rapidly with the cost increasing from £5,540 in 2018 to £303,262 in the last financial year. The ultimate cost to Pendle Council over the past four years was £863,000, they said.
Coun Lord said: “This is an issue affecting people and councils across the country. Grant aid from central government for temporary accommodation is woefully-short of the actual expenditure. Furthermore, increasing numbers of vulnerable people are becoming homeless in Pendle even though the borough has a significant number of long-term vacant properties.”
She mentioned reports from local charities including Curry On The Street, which helps people in the Nelson and Burnley area. She said: “I know of one case where a person with learning disabilities got into difficulties, regarding £6,000, and was being evicted. This person has no support worker. Nobody was helping her. One of my contacts got the ball rolling about her needs. But there are a lot of people across the borough who are not getting the support they need. There are issues for individuals and families.
“There are also a lot of empty properties in Pendle. But people are being told there is nowhere for them. This is a dreadful situation. I’ve talked to our housing officer. Some people are being put in accommodation elsewhere outside Pendle.
“In another case, I had a call from a grandma whose grand-daughter and baby has been made homeless because a relationship had broken-up. She was in Burnley. All she had was a kettle and a bottle warmer. Eventually we helped her. But she was there for weeks and weeks.
“People are being moved out of the borough. But that’s not right because they are being moved away from their families who want to help. “
Lib-Dem councillor Dorothy Lord
Their motion asked Pendle’s MPs to support requests for ‘adequate funding’ for councils or other authorities to address homelessness in the current and future financial years.
They also wanted Pendle Council’s important Overview & Scrutiny Committee to carry out a review of local homelessness, including causes and options for local solutions. Coun Church is the committee chairman and said he would aim to make time for work on the issues. Finally, they asked Lancashire County Council to review its adult social care policies for vulnerable people who are at risk of becoming homeless.
In a vote, councillors from all Pendle political groups supported the motion.
Previously at a Pendle Council Colne area meeting in November, councillors heard just over 880 properties in the borough have been empty for more than six months. Around 200 were in the Colne area. Councillors wanted regular housing updates.
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