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02
Feb 2023
Homelessness 'significantly increased' amid cost of living crisis, says Harrogate council official
Housing officials at Harrogate Borough Council say the number of people presenting as homeless has “significantly increased” amid the covid pandemic and cost of living crisis.
Maggie Gibson, housing needs manager at the authority, told a council overview and scrutiny commission that officers had seen a large amount of people who were in a “higher level of financial difficulty”.
It comes as the housing department has forecast an overspend of £170,000 due to an increase use of bed and breakfast accommodation amid a lack of temporary homes.
Ms Gibson said the council had started to see more people citing financial difficulties as their primary reason for approaching the service.
She said:
Read more:
- Homelessness in Harrogate — what’s the best way to help?
- ‘Huge’ increase in demand for Harrogate council homeless services
- Harrogate council paying £25,000 a month on hotels and B&Bs for homeless
The comments come as the Stray Ferret revealed last month that the council had spent £25,000 a month on temporary hotels and bed and breakfasts for homeless people.
The council, which has a statutory duty to prevent homelessness, is paying individual hotels up to £126 a night because its hostels are full.
Ms Gibson said housing officers were now seeing a “different picture” of homelessness due to the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
She said:
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