Leader's blog - 6 December 2024

I am writing to you this weekend as you may see in the right-wing media in coming days some inaccurate, politically-motivated and potentially inflammatory media coverage about our work to solve the temporary accommodation crisis engulfing much of the country.

Since the Conservative government's mini-budget in 2022 we have seen a huge surge in the number of people needing temporary accommodation because they've lost their homes or been forced to move out due to increase costs of the private rented sector. In the last five years demand has grown tenfold and it is forecast to rise by a third each and every year unless we take action now.

And that action has to be concrete. Doing nothing will cost the council more than £3million each year in bed and breakfast accommodation for those with nowhere else to go. This is unsustainable for the council and unacceptable for those in B&Bs who are unable to build a life for themselves and their families.

This situation is not only financially unsustainable but also deeply distressing for those affected. The vast majority of people in temporary accommodation in Basildon borough - well over 90% - are local people whose circumstances have changed, often suddenly and traumatically.  

People seeking asylum cannot be put into temporary accommodation until their claims are processed so it's misleading for anyone to suggest they can. I'm pleased the government is sorting out the asylum backlog, reducing hotel spend and where necessary, returning people who have no legal right to remain, to their country of origin.

We are going to solve this crisis. We are investigating the purchase of good-quality housing, in and out of the borough, to provide a stable, long-term solution to the tragedy of families and individuals being placed in unsuitable and expensive B&Bs which burden taxpayers without solving the root of the problem.

It is a shared responsibility, for the media, for politicians and for all of us who value compassion and community, to approach this matter responsibly and accurately, avoiding narratives that sow division and fear. Everyone deserves the dignity of a secure, stable home, and we are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind.

Let's focus on facts and solutions, not on harmful rhetoric that distracts from the real issue: providing better outcomes for all our residents.

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Published 6 December 2024