Homelessness prevention to save Peterborough City Council £1 million a year

The council has had a remarkable 200 per cent rise in homelessness presentations in the past two years, forcing people to be put up in Travelodges both in and out of Peterborough so they had somewhere to stay.

But increased investment in new accommodation and further early intervention will bring down homelessness in Peterborough and save lots of money in the process, according to the council, as it will reduce the need for temporary accommodation.

Measures have been set out in council budget proposals for 2019/2020 which are being released nine months before the cut-off date to give the authority time to implement the changes.

The measures, which have previously been revealed by the Peterborough Telegraph, include:

. Assisting households who are struggling to pay bills at an early stage

. Investing in more affordable accommodation - including properties landlords want to sell

. Employing additional officers in the Housing Needs team.

In the coming month 29 new properties at Midland Road in West Town will be available to use, while Bretton Court is being converted into 40 new flats.

A public consultation on the budget will now take place. Visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/budget.

A vote on the budget takes place at Full Council on Wednesday, July 25.