The number of homeless people on Anglesey has dropped significantly over the past 12 months.
Last year saw a 22% drop in homelessness, as the number of people presenting themselves to the County Council as homeless fell from 385 (2007/08) to 303 (2008/09).
Head of Housing Services, Rhys Jones, has praised the work of the Authority’s Homeless Team.
He said, “This is excellent news and the success of our housing advice services has undoubtedly played a major part in reducing homelessness here on the Island.
“Wherever possible we adopt an early intervention approach to try and prevent homelessness before it actually occurs. This is done through providing appropriate advice, signposting and working closely in partnership with other agencies.”
As a result of its proactive approach, the County Council is currently succeeding in preventing homelessness in 72% of cases.
Senior Homelessness Officer, Dylan Rees, explained, “As well as reducing homelessness, our team is working hard to quickly relocate homeless clients into suitable temporary accommodation, which has meant significant financial savings for the Authority.”
“The County Council is also leasing more than 200 properties from private landlords to provide temporary tenancies to homeless clients who must legally be housed. With a shortage of Council properties these clients would otherwise have to be housed in unsuitable and costly bed and breakfast accommodation.”
The new local housing allowance is also helping more clients to find accommodation in the private rented sector.
Housing portfolio holder, Councillor William I Hughes, welcomed the drop in homelessness on the Island.
He said, “The proactive approach taken by our homeless team is having a real positive effect on the Island. By finding suitable accommodation for those in need, we’re improving the lives of people across the county, and we’ll continue to work closely with all our partners in order to make further progress.”
