Finding social housing for the homeless remains a balancing act in North Warwickshire

Finding social housing for the homeless, while still accommodating those on the waiting list continues to be a balancing act for housing bosses at North Warwickshire Borough Council.

But the conundrum has been helped by the ban on evictions which is now set to continue until the new year.

Councillors attending this week's resources board meeting were given an update on the borough council's homelessness service and were told that the priority since March's lockdown had been to tackle the issue of rough sleeping.

A report on the matter explained: "Partnerships have strengthened during the last seven months. Regular meetings involve public health and county council colleagues as well as third sector support services and the probation service. Activity has included how to respond to local circumstances as well as nationally driven initiatives – such as the early release of prisoners.

"The protections offered by Government to social housing and private tenants to date have helped to prevent homelessness. Financial support will also have had a positive effect for some households with regard to paying for their accommodation. "

The report explained how vacant social housing properties had been used to accommodate the homeless.

Cllr Jacky Chambers (Lab, Dordon) said: "This report gives us a real insight to some of the challenges over the last six months and the way in which the borough has responded.

"It reads to me that we were using our social housing very much as the safety net to ensure that people who were becoming homeless were accommodated. That raises the question as to how long we can do that without impacting on families who are not being made homeless and not being able to move up the waiting list."

The council's director of housing, Angela Coates, explained that the numbers were quite limited.

She said: "With regard to private tenants there won't be any evictions from now until the middle of January and that's for social housing tenants as well.

"It is still quite a small percentage of the accommodation that we are using and we are still intent on pulling people off the waiting list as a priority to get them rehoused in the longer term so there is always a balance to be struck."