It’s costing the council up to £100 per night per family
Christine Sexton, Local Democracy Reporter
21:00, 04 Jan 2026
There’s been a surge in people needing temporary accommodation. File image(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The number of families living in temporary accommodation in Southend has topped 400 for the first time as the city faces a deepening housing crisis. Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveal that in November 2025, 414 households were placed in temporary accommodation.
Nightly costs range from £52.50 for a single room to £100 for larger family units. This is double the figure recorded in 2023, and Southend Council expects the number to rise further to around 447 households by the end of the financial year.
The surge reflects a national trend, with England recording 131,140 households in temporary accommodation by March 2025 – a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. In Southend, the rise has been stark: from 219 households in 2023 to 319 by mid-2024, and nearly 400 by mid-2025. The city also has more than 1,600 people on its social housing waiting list, yet only 382 homes became available last year, many of them age-restricted.
Olivia Westberg, Southend Council’s head of housing policy and operations, has previously said the main drivers of homelessness include evictions from private rentals, domestic violence cases, and family breakdowns. Unfortunately, all of these conditions have caused the massive upsurge that all councils are seeing,” she said.
The financial impact has been severe. The council’s bill for temporary accommodation soared to £2.5 million in 2024/25 – double the previous year. In response, a new Housing Delivery Board is being set up to oversee a five-year investment plan, including £10.5 million for home acquisitions, £85 million for new builds, and £4.5 million for modular temporary housing.
Anne Jones, councillor for planning and housing said the rising number of households in temporary accommodation was “a serious concern” reflecting the wider pressures on housing nationally, including a shortage of affordable homes and increasing private rents. She said: “We are working hard to address this by accelerating delivery of new council homes, strengthening partnerships with housing providers, and supporting residents to prevent homelessness wherever possible.
“This includes a bold £100 million, five-year investment plan recently approved by cabinet, alongside the creation of a Housing Delivery Board to speed up decision-making and increase supply.”
Ms Jones added: “These measures aim to reduce reliance on costly temporary accommodation and provide more settled housing for local families. However, this is a complex challenge that requires sustained investment and government support to make a real difference.”