Homeless households including families continue to be placed in costly hotel accommodation in Bristol. Bristol City Council has said that using hotels as temporary accommodation is a ‘last resort’ but continues to rely on them due to the high levels of homelessness nationally.
‘Abigail’, who did not want to give her real name, moved out of a hotel with her son this week and said that she was one of eight families staying in that particular hotel. Although she was only there for a few weeks, she had to borrow money for food because the lack of cooking facilities meant relying on expensive takeaway food.
Like most hotel rooms, families have access to a kettle but have no other way of heating food or keeping it cold. It is forbidden for them to bring their own electronic equipment such as microwaves, toasters, mini-fridges or air-fryers.
Abigail said she witnessed a mother of four being told off by hotel staff for trying to bring a microwave into her room. When she asked staff about how she could store milk to give her son cereal in the morning, she was told that some families resort to filling up the bath with cold water to keep food cool.
Halmat Osman lived in several different hotels around Bristol with his wife and one-year-old daughter before being moved into alternative temporary housing two months ago. He said he is still getting calls from people who lent him money at the time because it was costing him up to £40 a day to feed his family and he didn’t have the money.
Despite him telling the council at the time that he had no money for food, he said he has been offered no financial support and continues to be in debt. Bristol City Council offers advice and financial support for households staying at hotels but Mr Osman said his family were given no support despite staying in various hotels for five months.
The dad who has a severe form of asthma and sciatica has still not received any financial support for the five months his family stayed in a hotel. They have since been moved to a flat with mould, damp and mice.
“My daughter is scared and crying every night because of the mice in the flat. I am getting calls every day from people asking me for money but I still don’t have the money to pay them back,“ he said.
Abigail said she was refused financial support in transport costs because the hotel was less than two miles away from her son’s school. She was offered £250 in supermarket vouchers but said that she is only applying for them now that she has moved out of the hotel.
“I wasn’t even allowed to use their toaster or borrow milk to give my son breakfast in the morning and the hotel was charging £10 for breakfast. We had to rely on takeaways and it cost us a fortune,” she added.
What is the council doing to tackle the issues of hotels?
In November last year, a report to the council’s cabinet stated hotels were used ‘as a last resort’ for homeless households but their use has steadily increased, and the cost for 2024 in hotel bills is estimated to total £975,000. One of the ways the council plans to tackle these issues is by using a limited number of council homes as temporary accommodation and employing a temporary housing manager who will ensure homeless households are offered better support and ultimately end the use of hotels as temporary family accommodation.
The recruitment process for the new role began in early September and the council’s plans to use a limited number of its own housing stock as temporary accommodation will be presented to the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee on December 13.
The council has spent more on temporary accommodation in recent years than it is given by central government and does not have the power to limit the amount private landlords are charging in rent- which has been one of the biggest drivers of homelessness in Bristol in the last few years.
Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee at Bristol City Council, said: “Bristol remains in the grip of a housing crisis and the demand for temporary accommodation, homeless advice, and practical assistance is a reflection of the level of high homelessness demand nationally.
“Growing demand for housing, coupled with rising costs and shrinking availability of affordable homes, is pushing a growing number of households towards homelessness. This is putting greater pressure on the availability of temporary accommodation in the city.
“Our primary action is to prevent homelessness and the need for emergency accommodation at any time. The pressures we face mean that the council does sometimes have to rely on hotel provision.
“All households who are placed in a hotel are of the highest priority to move into emergency accommodation, hotels are always used as a last resort. We are very aware that hotels are not a permanent solution and present challenges to both single and family households in maintaining everyday functions such as cooking and laundry.
“When a household is placed in hotel accommodation is used we seek to minimise the length of stay. We offer advice and support around access to the Local Crisis and Prevention Fund and voluntary sector support to help residents with any costs they face while living in hotel accommodation.
“Tackling the housing crisis is a major challenge and will require a number of different solutions. The biggest positive impact will come from reducing demand, but this can only be achieved with a sizeable increase in affordable housing, particularly social housing, and appropriate reform of the private rental market to maximise stability and affordability. We are making progress by building Bristol’s first social homes at scale for over a generation and working with local organisations to present recommendations for private rent reform.
“We are committed to facing the housing challenge head on and continue ensuring support is there for those who need temporary and permanent housing solutions.”