Two blocks of flats are set to be used exclusively by Bury council to house the homeless. A proposal to go before the town hall’s cabinet next week explains how bosses have planned an agreement to use both Huntley House and 18-22 Silver Street in the town centre for temporary supported accommodation.
The agreement, for the next five years, would save around £2m currently spent on hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people.
Bury Council said there had been ‘a significant increase’ of homeless single people and families requiring temporary accommodation to whom the authority owes housing duties under homelessness legislation. These people are currently accommodated in B&B and hotel provision funded by the council as there are no direct allocated funding streams from central government.
The cabinet report, said: “Huntley House comprises 19 units with their own facilities, including kitchens and bathrooms. 18- 22 Silver Street is in Bury and comprises eight self-contained flats for the purpose of accommodating homeless people.
“The flats are located in Bury town centre and are of high quality and specification. Both properties have previously been used for homeless and asylum seeker accommodation.”
The estimated council costs of the supported flats would be £900,000 over the next five years as opposed to £3m the authority expects to spend on hotels over the same period. If the agreement is approved, the owners of Huntley House and 18- 22 Silver Street, JDBR Investments Ltd would improve each property and then offer them out for the provision of multiple units of temporary supported accommodation.
The report said this solution will be ‘far less expensive and more desirable than the current use of B&B and hotel accommodation’. The report added: “For this to be achieved JDBR Investments Ltd need to enter into a lease with a registered provider of social housing specialising in providing supported housing.
“In turn, the council and registered provider will need to enter into an agreement so the council can secure exclusive nomination rights. This agreement may need to include the council agreeing to indemnify for any loss of rent in the event the council cannot fill all the accommodation units within each property.
“Officers advise that the need for this type of accommodation is such that there is little if any risk that any of the units will be empty for any material period of time.” Bury’s cabinet will consider the proposals on January 8.