Council housing is in short supply

Soaring levels of homelessness in Cardiff has prompted housing agencies to launch a campaign highlighting the need for more homes.

The campaign comes as figures showed Cardiff council spent over £750,000 last year keeping homeless people in guest houses because of an accommodation shortage.

Figures have shown that 79 families are currently in bed and breakfast accommodation, while nearly 8,500 people are on waiting lists for council properties.

Now the council has joined force with landlords and housing charities including Shelter Cymru and the Salvation Army to raise awareness of the problem and lobby for change.

Official homeless numbers in Cardiff 2000/2001: 479 2001/2002: 656 2002/2003: 971

Cardiff Homes Crisis was formed after the number of homeless applications to the council more than doubled within 18 months.

The council has attributed part of the problem to new Welsh assembly regulations which place the burden for looking after the homeless solely on local authorities.

Property

Steve Jeans, communications manager for adult services, said the council had only started using bed and breakfast to house homeless people in the past year.

"For years, we didn't use B&Bs, but we simply couldn't get hold of properties to put people in," he explained.

He put part of the problem down to rising property prices in the capital.

We have not seen investment in social housing for decades in Wales Huw Evans, Shelter Cymru

Councillor Lynda Thorne, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for social justice, told BBC Wales they were spending a lot of money but had no choice.

"We have a statutory duty to house people who are homeless for certain ranges of people," she said.

"We don't have accommodation readily available.

"We have fewer large family properties available because of the right to buy.

"Families usually have to wait longer than single people [to move from B&Bs to a home]."

Huw Evans from housing charity Shelter Cymru said the problem extended beyond Cardiff.

"We have not seen investment in social housing for decades in Wales and as a result of which people on low incomes or no incomes at all often have nowhere to live.

"It's a Catch-22 situation for local authorities in that people who are vulnerable are not forced to sleep on the streets.

"But at the same time, we don't believe B&Bs are a long-term answer and we need to find a solution," he added.

Socially retained housing is in dire need and the government does need to invest in it Lynda Thorne

"This money, taxpayers' money, is going to private landlords, often unscrupulous landlords who are using the money for their own devices."

Cllr Thorne added the council was continuing to lose its housing stock because of the "right to buy" legislation, which allows some tenants to purchase their council homes.

"We're losing about 450 properties a year to the right to buy," she added.