Agenda item

Members had expressed an interest in learning more about the potential for using shipping containers as part of the Council’s response to emergency accommodation and housing supply.  The Housing Needs and Strategy Manager’s report explained that a number of Councils were using shipping containers and porta cabins which had been converted to form self-contained living accommodation for emergency and temporary accommodation.  This was in response to the rise in the number of rough sleepers and homeless applicants, the cost and reliance of using Bed & Breakfast and the lack of supply of suitable housing. The Councils who had taken this approach were mostly inner city Councils where rough sleeper numbers were high and the supply of affordable accommodation was low.   In Bristol a social enterprise ‘Help Bristol’s Homeless’ had been addressing the rise in numbers of rough sleepers by providing converted shipping containers as accommodation.  This had been funded through donations and good will of local people, the land had been leased by Bristol City Council at a peppercorn rent.

Shipping containers were proving popular for the following reasons:

·           Potential to reduce homelessness

·           Reduce reliance on Bed & Breakfast accommodation

·           Efficient use of space

·           Cost, time and flexibility

Whilst there were many benefits there were also challenges and drawbacks to housing people in shipping containers. These could be summarised as:

·           There had been reports that the containers are cold and inadequately heated.

·           Whilst temporary in nature many people in containers in Ealing had been there for 18 months and had reported that they felt they were ‘not living in a real home’ and were ‘feel contained’.

·           There had also been problems with anti-social behaviour and residents not feeling safe as a result. Housing large numbers of people in a small area often resulted in anti-social behaviour especially if there were residents with additional support needs who led chaotic lives.

·           Some re-purposed shipping containers have had problems and damage from previous rough handling and seawater. The previous use was also important as many containers could have been used to transport dangerous chemicals and biohazards.

The Housing Needs and Strategy Manager’s report concluded that shipping containers offered a quick, affordable, flexible alternative to housing people where demand was very high and supply of suitable accommodation and land was limited. However it did not provide ‘a home’ and was only ever a temporary solution.  The response to the rise in homelessness within East Devon was to purchase the House of Multiple Occupation which would be used as temporary, emergency accommodation rather than rely on Bed & Breakfast. This would be a test base to see if this type of accommodation worked and provided the stop gap that people needed to help them move on.   It was also noted that the work of the Homelessness Strategy task group would review the opportunities that such initiatives presented and it was important that the Board kept up to date with innovation in the sector and what was going on around the country in this area.

RESOLVED: that the Housing Review Board note the information contained in the report.