South Holland District Council to buy homes for homeless and Afghan refugees
Three new properties will be acquired with Government and council funding
South Holland District Council has pledged to purchase three new properties to support local homeless people and Afghan refugees using Government and council funding.
The acquisition, which will cost nearly £850,000, will see two properties allocated to those experiencing homelessness in the area, while one property will be reserved for Afghan refugees who aided British forces and fled the Taliban's return to power.
The council previously received £345,000 from the Government and is now utilising £534,477 from its own reserves.
South Holland District Council plans to bid for round four of the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) aiming to develop a strategy for utilising the funds and pinpointing suitable buildings.
At a full council meeting on Wednesday, July 15, portfolio holder for strategic and operational housing, Tracey Carter (Conservative – Holbeach Town) said: “Members will be aware that this is a programme that the council has successfully supported through the previous rounds.
“The Local Authority Housing Fund has already enabled South Holland to bring 14 homes into council ownership.
“This helps to reduce reliance on costly B&B and hotel accommodation, while also creating long-term housing assets for the authority, with all properties being available for use to meet locally arising housing needs in the longer term.”
Coun Carter went on to say that the temporary and resettlement homes would save the council money in the longer term.
She added: “By securing the funding, we will increase the number of homes available to meet local housing needs, improve outcomes for vulnerable residents and reduce ongoing revenue pressures associated with emergency accommodation.”
The total estimated cost for the project is approximately £849,477.
SHDC officers have until March 2027 to secure and acquire appropriate properties.