Council leader's warning over HMO use in Liverpool

Plans to use houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) to tackle homelessness in Liverpool cannot just be rolled out "in the most deprived communities", its council leader has said.

Liverpool City Council is looking at a range of measures to address a shortage of temporary accommodation, and tackle the rise in rough sleeping.

It aims to secure longer-term temporary accommodation than is offered at present, and ensure that bed and breakfasts and hotels are used as a last resort.

A report to be considered by the council's cabinet next week says increased levels of rough sleeping and homelessness are partly due to more no-fault evictions and rising rents.

The report says HMOs are one way of giving people somewhere to live in the medium term, and are less costly than hotels and bed and breakfasts.

Speaking on the Hot Seat phone-in on BBC Radio Merseyside, Robinson admitted that HMOs were controversial in many parts of the city, not least in the Kensington ward which he represents.

He said there had been issues with HMOs in the local area for "many years" and restrictions had been introduced to limit planning approval for them in certain parts of Liverpool.

He added there needed to be "an appropriate spread" of HMOs across the city and that "it cannot be solely in the most deprived communities, because that's not fair".

HMOs for people moving on from rough sleeping could be "anywhere in the city, any district, any region".

The average number of people seen rough sleeping in the city each night between April and September 2024 was 30, an increase on the average of 22 people seen per night over the same period in 2023.

Liverpool Council plans to use a range of temporary accommodation services including HMOs and studio flats to meet the needs of homeless households.

Documents being considered by cabinet next week said the authority will not hold any leases, tenancies or licences of the properties, but it would procure a service providing a minimum number of properties with all property and tenancy related functions delivered by the provider.

There are currently 1,635 households in temporary accommodation, with around 1,100 in B&Bs or hotels.

Cabinet documents said there had been "unprecedented demand on the council's Housing Solutions Service in recent years and an increase in homeless presentations, with the service receiving an increase in requests for help and assistance from those at risk of homelessness".

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.