Focus on turning empty houses into homes!
The growing scourge of homelessness in Pendle, and across the country, is raised at Pendle District Council by Councillor Dorothy Lord.
The cost of providing temporary accommodation in Pendle in recent years has soared from £5,540 in 2018 to £303,262 in the last financial year, costing the council more than £863,000, whilst houses stand empty and the Labour Government wants the council to build on our green open space.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Dorothy Lord, who is also the leader of Colne Town Council, is calling for a review of homelessness, including it's causes and options for local solutions, stating that "The additional Government funding of £126,000 recently announced falls far short of the amount being spent on this service in Pendle."
The growing need to provide temporary accomodation is not helped by the fact that there are over 800 long-term vacant properties in Pendle (over six months), around 200 of which are in Colne. Despite these vacant properties, increasing numbers of vulnerable people are becoming homeless in Pendle.
Dorothy told Focus, "We are calling on Pendle's MP's to to support requests for adequate funding to address homelessness in the current and future financial years, and for Lancashire County Council be requested to review its Adult Social Care policies and procedures around vulnerable people at risk of homelessness.
The Liberal Democrats support enhancing the powers of Local Government to bring empty houses back into use as a priority, to help solve the housing crisis.
