Council cuts: leader appeals to government for uplift in housing benefit subsidy

The Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council has criticised the former government for ignoring the scale of the homelessness crisis and leaving 'public services on life support'.

Councillor Stephen Holt was speaking following a Cabinet meeting today (September 18) where a series of service cuts were confirmed including a £100,000 reduction in grant funding for Towner, the closure of the Beachy Head Story heritage centre and reductions in events and seafront spending.

Due to the spiraling costs of temporary accommodation, the council must save £2.7m in the current financial year, having already cut over £3m from the 2024/2025 budget.

Councillor Holt said:

"The warnings I have shared over the last 12 months about temporary accommodation have been ignored by government and the result of their inaction are these deeply regrettable cuts.

"The cost of living crisis has made rent and mortgage payments unaffordable for many, meaning 200 children are sleeping in temporary accommodation in Eastbourne tonight, a shameful fact that I hope will motivate the new government to take action and take it now.

"Even this week, Shelter reported that one in 28 children homeless in Hastings currently live in temporary accommodation. This is a national crisis, and national government needs to act urgently so that we can continue to provide the services our residents expect, whilst supporting the most vulnerable."  

Following consultation with user groups and staff, a second round of savings will be on the Cabinet agenda on November 13. These areas include proposed changes to swimming provision at the Sovereign Centre, alternative arrangements for public conveniences, changes to rent support grants and council grants to voluntary and community organisations. Details of the consultation are available at lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/ebcsavingsconsultation

Eastbourne Borough Council has been at the forefront of a year-long campaign, with hundreds of other councils joining the call for government intervention in the homelessness crisis.

Councillor Holt added:

 "We had 158 councils join us for the first summit on homelessness and temporary accommodation and a cross-party group of council leaders joined me in Westminster in January to lobby government.

 "While I'm furious that we are still to receive credible and meaningful support from government, I can assure residents that my fight will go on.

"I'm calling for an immediate uplift in the housing benefit subsidy we receive each time someone is placed in temporary accommodation, which remains frozen at 2011 rates, an end to no fault evictions and an end to the right to buy policy.

"These changes wouldn't remove the need for immediate savings, but they would improve the outlook for councils and the social housing sector more widely."

The council has launched a public consultation on savings proposals and different ways of operating services, and will work to minimise the impact on residents.

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