Peterborough City Council Reports Surge in Homelessness Service Demand

A municipal authority has indicated it is encountering “significant demand” from individuals and families seeking assistance with homelessness. Peterborough City Council received inquiries from 3,654 households experiencing homelessness during the past year, marking an 11% rise compared to the year prior. The council reported that the current year is projected to see an even greater number of cases, with over 2,000 instances documented in the six-month period commencing in April. The authority stated it was encountering “significant demand” for its homelessness assistance, yet affirmed that the service had “worked hard to maximise opportunities to prevent homelessness”. A report scheduled for presentation to a council committee on Wednesday noted: “We recognise the impact that homelessness has on households as well as the financial pressure this places on the council through the high cost of temporary accommodation.” The count of households housed in temporary accommodation increased by 16% within a year, reaching 378. Within the report, the council indicated its efforts to lessen its dependence on bed and breakfasts for temporary accommodation, characterizing them as “costly and inappropriate”. For most instances, individuals in Peterborough faced homelessness due to being requested to vacate by family (20%) or through eviction under a Section 21 notice (14%). Additional frequent circumstances involved escaping domestic abuse (6.5%), friends being unable to provide accommodation (6%), or the dissolution of a relationship (6%). According to the report, city council officials identified a 74% disparity between the supply of available houses and the demand recorded on the housing register. The council expressed hope that a forthcoming new build development in Great Haddon, located on the city’s periphery, would contribute to addressing this demand.