City council's hotel bill for homeless tops £1 million

Accommodation found for more than 900 families and individuals - up from 846

- Phil Corrigan

STOKE-ON-TRENT City Council spent more than £1 million on hotel rooms for homeless people last year.

The council placed 933 families and individuals in B&Bs on a temporary basis in 2024/25, up from 846 in the previous year.

This cost a total of £1.06 million, and while the council was able to claim a central government subsidy to cover some of the expense, this still left an £850,317 bill for local taxpayers.

The amount the council spends on temporary B&B accommodation for homeless people has increased dramatically in recent years, as homeless applications have increased both locally and nationally.

In 2017/18, the net cost to the council was just £90,873, rising to £564,786 in 2023/24. And the record amount spent in 2024/25 could be equalled or even surpassed this year.