Help to more than 200 homeless families

10:23am Thursday 8th May 2008

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MORE than 200 homeless households were helped by Braintree Council last year.

Of the 283 families who received help in 2007/8, 184 had been evicted by their parents or lost their privately rented accommodation.

Joanne Albini, head of housing at the council, told the Braintree local committee that the authority is approached by about 450 households a year, and officers have to decide whether or not they are homeless.

However, the number of homeless people approaching the council has fallen and it hopes to halve the number of households in temporary accommodation by December - two years ahead of the Government target date.

The council is currently reviewing its homelessness strategy and its priorities include developing more affordable housing. Such homes could be built into large housing estates when developers approach the council for planning permission, funded by Section 106 agreements with developers or paid for with money from an £11million fund set up by the authority and Greenfields Community Housing.