COUNCIL expenditure on providing temporary housing for homeless people in Barnsley significantly increased last year to more than £1m.
Figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reveal £581,000 was spent in 2023 but this climbed to seven figures last year.
Overall, 51 households in Barnsley were living in temporary accommodation, including 62 children.
Housing charity Shelter said families are ‘crammed’ in bed-and-breakfasts and called on the government to invest in long-term solutions, including 90,000 social homes a year.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "We simply cannot continue pouring money into temporary accommodation instead of investing in solutions that will end the housing emergency for good.
"The severe lack of genuinely affordable social homes and extortionate private rents have condemned children to homelessness while councils are running out of options of where to house them.
"Families are crammed into hostel rooms and mouldy B and Bs, sent miles away from their local areas and constantly worried about if they will be homeless for weeks, months or even years."
Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, said: “We’re committed to working with our partners to prevent homelessness in Barnsley.
“Over the last few years, temporary accommodation costs have risen nationally, fuelled by a range of factors.
“This includes the cost-of-living crisis and challenges in the private and social housing market.
“That’s why we’ve made reducing demand for temporary accommodation one of the key priorities.
“We continue to develop innovative ways to reduce demand and spend on temporary accommodation.
“Their holistic approach to support allows us to offer a safe space for those sleeping rough to rebuild their lives, helping them to move forward positively.
“We will continue to work with our partners throughout the lifetime of the strategy to look at how we can tackle this issue together, taking targeted approaches that work for our communities.”
