Increased funding for housing services in North Devon

Housing services in North Devon are being boosted with a £2m cash injection, North Devon Council’s strategy and resources committee decided today this week.

Councilors have agreed to amend North Devon Council’s capital program to free up additional funding to buy seven to eight more housing units, reducing the need to put people up in B&Bs as temporary accommodation.

The additional funding will support the diverse and positive work done by the council’s accommodation service and meet the high demand for temporary accommodation. Figures released by the council show that from 1 April 2022 to 18 January 2023, its Housing Options team successfully prevented homelessness for 225 clients, placed 356 households in temporary accommodation and secured accommodation for 116 clients.

North Devon Council’s Lead Member for Housing, Councilor Nicola Topham says: “The decision by members to increase the council’s capital investment in housing services is seriously good news for North Devon residents who find themselves in need of housing support. the choice of housing stock we have available means that fewer people find themselves in boarding houses as temporary accommodation, which is much better for their well-being and is also a much cheaper solution for the council.

“These are challenging times, but despite this our housing officers are delivering a high level of homelessness prevention and working with partners to ensure that fewer people have access in ‘crisis’. As a strong, hard-working and caring team, our housing officers are exceptionally dedicated to finding solutions for people who come to them for help. We currently have a number of vacancies within the service which we hope to fill with people who are equally passionate about supporting individuals in housing need.”

The council has been building its own stock since a £1.2m capital investment in 2018 which was used to buy temporary accommodation. It currently owns 11 accommodation units, of which approximately half were new property acquisitions from 2018 and half were existing council property converted into new temporary accommodation.

Information about North Devon Council’s accommodation service is available on its website. Anyone who believes they are at risk of becoming homeless should contact North Devon Council as soon as possible on 01271 388870 or email customerservices@northdevon.gov.uk.

For information on upcoming vacancies in the Housing team, keep an eye on the council’s social media channels and the Vacancies page on their website.