Breckland council to invest in homelessness prevention

Councillors have agreed to invest in new temporary accommodation to help homeless people in mid-Norfolk and keep families together.

The decision to invest more than £1m into preventing homelessness was made during a Breckland Council cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

'Perhaps due to long-term sickness or unemployment, families or individuals can find themselves in crisis and at risk of homelessness,' said councillor Gordon Bambridge.

'We have a duty to support these vulnerable people and, by providing temporary accommodation and offering support and advice, we can help them get back on their feet and find a more permanent home.'

Currently the council has 14 units providing temporary housing. When these are full the council has to resort to costly measures, such as placing families in B&B accommodation.

The council hopes that this investment will reduce reliance on B&Bs and provide better support to those in need.