New Temporary Housing Unit Opening in Greenford | |
Poplars in Lilian Board Way will offer accommodation for homeless
Work on a new housing unit for homeless families in Greenford is nearly finished Once completed, Poplars in Lilian Board Way will offer a stable temporary home for some of the hundreds of local families who approach the council each year because they have nowhere to live. Each one of the units in this building has its own front door, its own cooking facilities and its own bathroom. Poplars is just one of the sites increasing the supply of council owned temporary accommodation. The council says that these hostels are reducing the number of families who need to spend time in bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) before the council helps them find a permanent home. According to the council the number of families who are temporarily housed in B&Bs is at the lowest level since 2014 and the total has dropped by almost 90% in the last three years. The amount of time families who do end in B&B have to stay there has reduced too, having dropped by more than two thirds. The council says it has achieved this by increasing the supply of suitable permanent options including the delivery more than 2,500 homes to let at ‘genuinely affordable’ rents by May this year. Another key factor has been a focus on preventing homelessness in the first place, by assisting residents to stay in the accommodation they’re currently in or helping them to find privately rented options. Ealing says it has the second highest rate of homelessness prevention in London. Councillor Lauren Wall is Ealing Council’s lead member for genuinely affordable homes. She said, “In Ealing we’re doing everything we can to help people who find themselves in the desperate position of having nowhere to call home. This fantastic new hostel will offer local families who find themselves with no other options a safe, comfortable place to live until they find a permanent place to move to. “By building the council homes to let that the borough needs, we are working towards a future where families have more genuinely affordable housing options open to them, which will reduce the demand for spaces at hostels like Poplars. And with one of the highest rates of homelessness prevention in London, we’re very proud that Ealing is leading the way in helping people who need us most.”
March 16, 2022
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