There are more than 300 new cases of homelessness in Gloucester every month as council chiefs secure £2m investment in temporary accommodation.

The number of people without a home is rising nationally and in Gloucestershire.

But Gloucester City Council leaders say they remain committed to tackling homelessness and recently successfully bid for more than £2m to invest in temporary accommodation.

The council, working with Gloucester City Homes, has secured £1.34 million from the government’s single homeless accommodation programme (SHAP) to address gaps in specialised supported accommodation for those with a history of sleeping rough and with complex needs.

The SHAP funding will see a vacant building in the London Road area of Gloucester, turned into eight homes for young people who have experienced homelessness with dedicated support to help them into sustainable long-term accommodation.

It will offer access to support with mental and physical health as well as specialist coaches to help them learn new skills to reach their full potential.

The announcement came as opposition councillors asked what is being done to tackle the issue.

Councillor Tree Chambers-Dubus (L, Moreland) asked council leaders at a meeting in North Warehouse on March 21 when there would be a serious reduction in the number of homeless people in Gloucester.

Planning and housing strategy cabinet member Stephanie Chambers (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) explained that in Gloucester over 300 new homelessness cases on average are currently being opened by officers each month.

“This represents a 12.5 per cent increase in demand compared with the level of demand experienced during 2020/21.

“From the beginning of January 2021 to the end of December 2023 officers have prevented homelessness in over 820 cases – an average of 275 cases each year, equating to more than one homelessness case prevented every working day.

“This council remains committed to reducing and preventing homelessness wherever possible, however unfortunately the council is unable to control the many drivers of homelessness and therefore it is not possible to predict when we might see a reduction in the number of homeless presentations.”

The council has also received almost £800,000 from the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) to put towards the purchase of temporary accommodation for families.

The LAHF will support the council’s pledge of November last year, to spend £5 million on purchasing homes in the city as temporary accommodation.

The plan aims to provide more self-contained temporary homes and reduce the time that people spend in emergency accommodation such as hotels and also lower the cost of emergency accommodation to the council.

So far two large family homes have been purchased by the council and a number are currently in negotiation.

Cllr Chambers said: “With household bills rising we are seeing a growing number of people struggling to make ends meet.

“Although we ask people to come to us as soon as they’re able, so we can prevent them from becoming homeless, sadly a number of them will end up in emergency accommodation.

“While it’s useful that this safety net is there, we know that it’s far from ideal especially for families, so we’re committing £5 million to tackling this problem. This approach will give us more options and allows us to save money long term that would be better spent elsewhere.”

Guy Stenson, chief executive of Gloucester City Homes said: “Right now across England there are currently more than 139,000 young people without a home, more than the entire population of Gloucester.

“We know having a home is the bedrock from which we can all a build a successful life. This much-needed new scheme seeks to invest in the lives of young people in Gloucester, particularly those who need support.

“It will offer an empowering space for young people, where they will not only have a quality, affordable home but support with their mental and physical health, and access to specialist coaches who will help them to connect, build confidence, and learn new skills, enabling them to reach their full potential.”

A spokesperson for Homes England, said: “We’re pleased to work with DLUHC to deliver the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme, supporting provision of high-quality homes and support for some of the most vulnerable members of our society who are sleeping rough and young people at risk of homelessness.”