Epsom & Ewell Council Awarded Grant to Acquire Homes for Homelessness Support

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council (EEBC), a Surrey council, is set to receive a one-off grant totaling nearly £1.5 million from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This funding is designated for the acquisition of six properties, aiming to reduce the council’s expenditure on temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness. The local authority plans to utilize these funds to purchase five properties for temporary accommodation purposes and one property to serve as an Afghan resettlement home. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the council had initially intended to allocate the grant towards its recently approved temporary housing pods, but this proposal was rejected by the government. Councillor Hannah Dalton informed the strategy and resources committee on Thursday, stating: “They turned us down because they want us to invest in bricks and mortar.” Council documents indicate that this programme is expected to alleviate local housing pressures, offer improved housing quality, and decrease emergency accommodation expenses, thereby lessening the impact on individuals awaiting social housing. Furthermore, the initiative aims to provide stable housing for Afghan citizens participating in the resettlement scheme, enabling them to “build new lives in the UK, find employment and integrate into communities.” Subsequent to the scheme’s unanimous approval, EEBC is scheduled to receive the initial payment in January 2025, with the total amount disbursed across three instalments over a two-year period. While the new scheme will incur an annual cost of £35,000 for property maintenance, borne by taxpayers, this represents a reduction from the £115,000 the council previously spent on comparable accommodation expenses.