Chichester District Council has put in a bid to buy a large property to be used as short-stay temporary housing.
Until all legal processes have been completed, the authority can’t say where the property is or how much it will cost – but it will have up to 40 rooms.
The budget, which will be taken from reserves, was approved during a meeting of the full council, with a report set to be put to the cabinet should the council’s bid be accepted.
A spokesman said: “Sadly there has been a sharp rise in families, couples, and individuals who need temporary accommodation while they experience homelessness through no fault of their own.
“This is a nationwide issue – with record numbers of children, families, and individuals living in temporary accommodation and our district is no exception to this growing challenge.
“Like most councils across the country, the cost of this type of accommodation has risen significantly in recent years. Expanding the amount of temporary accommodation that we have has been a key priority for us in recent years, and we have made significant progress over the past 12 months.
“We have identified a suitable property in the district which we hope to purchase, subject to all the relevant legal processes being completed. This additional site means that we can help reduce this cost and seek to reduce our reliance on nightly paid accommodation. Nightly paid accommodation is considerably more expensive and is often out of the district which is not convenient for our residents.
“By purchasing this extra property it will give us the opportunity to meet people’s needs more effectively and provide additional homelessness support to the individuals who rely on our help. It will act as a vital stepping stone, helping people move safely and steadily into long‑term housing.”
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