Though hundreds of homeless households remain in temporary accommodation across Kirklees, “real progress” has been made in reducing the numbers, council bosses have said.
on 3 November, a meeting of Kirklees Council’s Growth and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel heard an update on the local authority’s progress in tackling the demand for temporary accommodation, including bed and breakfasts, for housing people facing homelessness. The council also uses self-contained houses/flats, hostels, domestic abuse refuges, and supported housing as temporary accommodation.
A council report explains that over the past five years, there has been a “fairly consistent” number of homeless households in Kirklees, though more have been at “crisis point”, requiring temporary accommodation. Between 2020 and 2025, the figure peaked as of March 31, 2024, with 423 Kirklees households in temporary accommodation – 200 of them housed in B&Bs. By 31 March, 2025, 375 households were in temporary accommodation, with 132 in B&Bs.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Transport, Cllr Moses Crook, told the meeting that there had been a “significant increase” in presentations of homelessness both in Kirklees and across the country due to several factors including the cost of living crisis, and reductions in available social housing stock.
He spoke of the “crisis” currently faced by the sector, with 130,000 UK households now in temporary accommodation, including 170,000 children. The cost to councils for 2024/25 came to a staggering £2.8bn, with Kirklees forking out £7.6m for this period.
Councillor Crook continued: “Most importantly, the impact of this housing insecurity on families is profound. Without secure and appropriate housing, people cannot benefit fully from opportunities and educational training, access jobs or support networks, eat healthy meals and other factors. Being homeless, especially being placed in inappropriate bed and breakfast-type accommodation prevents people from getting their lives back on track.”
But progress has been made in Kirklees, with a 20 per cent reduction in presentations in homelessness due to earlier interventions, along with a 20 per cent reduction in the use of B&Bs. The number of families with children being housed in B&Bs has also fallen by 58 per cent. These statistics were taken over the past year.
Head of Housing Services, Sarah Holmes, spoke of the “real progress” made in this time and explained that several interventions had been put in place including a full review of the Housing Solutions service – which is responsible for homelessness advice, assessment and temporary accommodation placement – as well as using private sector accommodation and leasing properties including surplus, former student accommodation.
She added: “It’s been a really, really difficult year or two in terms of homelessness demand in Kirklees but the Housing Solutions service and all of its partners have made some really, really positive inroads into turning around the trend of temporary accommodation and particularly reducing bed and breakfast use.
“There’s more to go, but I think we are quite proud of what the service has delivered over the last year or so.”
Ms Holmes acknowledged that there are more people in B&Bs than the council would wish, and said the local authority wants to get to a position where there are no families placed in B&Bs unless in absolutely “exceptional” circumstances. Later on, this point was picked up by Cllr Donna Bellamy (Con, Holme Valley North) who wanted to know a “realistic” time frame for when this would be achievable and the barriers currently in the way.
In response, Service Director for Development, Joanne Bartholomew, said that one barrier for the council is to get additional suitable accommodation. She added: “Ideally we want families to spend, or anybody to spend the shortest possible time in temporary accommodation before they move on to some more permanent accommodation.
“That’s why we’re looking at private sector discharge – to help families perhaps transition as quickly as possible into a private sector home rather than waiting for social housing or a registered provider offer.”
As for the time frame, Ms Bartholomew said that “ideally” by next autumn, the council would be looking at only having families staying in bed and breakfasts for the “absolute minimum” period of time and on an “emergency basis”.
