St Mark's Ward Councillors

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Campaign to save 22 Gloucester Road for emergency housing

by lizgreen on 10 April, 2016


Pictured outside 22 Gloucester Road, a large detached property owned by the Council, Councillor Bamford, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Housing said “Keeping this house for our own homeless is a no brainer!”

Liberal Democrats are campaigning to see 22 Gloucester Road used for a period of five years for emergency housing. Formerly used as a care home, there are 16 bedrooms and a large garden with a range of mature trees and shrubs. The Conservative Administration is in a legal process that could make the property “surplus to requirements,” at that point they can flog it off to the highest bidder.

Kingston Council does not have bed and breakfast accommodation available for homeless families within the Borough. There are 589 households living in temporary accommodation (including private sector leasing and our hostels) and the rising homelessness figures cannot be ignored. 154 households are currently in nightly paid accommodation and the Conservative Administration spent nearly £1.3 million on bed and breakfast accommodation last year alone.

Liberal Democrats are on a mission to convince the Conservative Administration to convert 22 Gloucester Road and use it for temporary accommodation. Councillor Bamford said,

“Keeping 22 Gloucester Road for emergency housing is a no brainer! Within five years, the amount the Council would save on putting people in bed and breakfast out of the borough would be paid back. And in five years time, we could look again at the Council’s finances and make an informed decision to continue using it for emergency housing or sell for a capital receipt.”

Speaking about homelessness in the long term, Councillor Bamford said

“We must build the new homes that meet local need. Conservative housing reforms that force councils to sell their homes is only going to make building new homes increasingly difficult. Finding emergency care for homeless people and expanding the range of accommodation for homeless people, particularly those who are young, vulnerable, or with families will become impossible.”