Council's Housing Acquisition Programme provides much needed local housing

Following agreement at Full Council on 8 February 2023 to release funding to buy up to 50 homes, Hastings Borough Council's Housing Acquisition Programme has already secured 40 of these properties, with 15 currently tenanted.

By tenanting 15 of these homes, by 31 July 2024, the council had already seen a reduction in temporary accommodation costs of more than £185k. The council also saved £413k in grant funding by underspending on acquiring and renovating these 15 properties.

The 40 properties already bought are 5 x 1 bed, 7 x 2 beds, 19 x 3 beds, and 9 x 4 beds. The original timescale for this programme was two years, so the council is delighted to be ahead of schedule.

Following the success of the first phase, the council welcomes £21m of government funding to enable the next stage of the acquisition programme to commence. This will see approximately 124 more homes provided to those in need. These properties will all meet the council's Fit to Let standard, ensuring residents are provided with good quality housing, with a minimum EPC rating of C.

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, lead for Housing at the council, said,

"I am extremely pleased that we will be building the first council homes in Hastings for many decades. With property prices rising, and a lack of suitable, affordable accommodation for households to move into from emergency accommodation, this news is a welcome step in the right direction, with hundreds of residents being provided with somewhere safe and secure to call home.

"We know we have a long way to go to tackle the housing crisis that is currently impacting Hastings, but we are delighted to see local residents being able to stay within Hastings and close to their support networks, children's schools, and work.

"I want to thank the Housing team at Hastings Borough Council, who have worked tirelessly to provide residents in need with these homes, allowing them a better quality of life."