Vacant homes in Scarborough to become homeless accommodation

​Three Scarborough properties owned by North Yorkshire Council will be turned into temporary accommodation for homeless households.

​NYC said the properties identified for refurbishment were in a poor state of repair which resulted in them remaining empty.

​They are located within Scarborough, allowing easy access to services, the authority added.

​Eight flats are set to be created from the three properties, according to documents published by the council.

​A spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the authority anticipates that the refurbishment required to bring the properties back into residential use, including any necessary planning permissions, will be completed by the end of 2027.

​“Using council-owned homes for homeless households is one of our strategies to provide appropriate accommodation and reduce the use of B&B and hotels, which is more cost-effective and delivers better outcomes for families and individuals,” the spokesperson added.

​In recent years, Scarborough has faced some of the highest levels of homelessness in North Yorkshire.

​NYC was one of the first authorities in England to introduce a 100 per cent tax on second homes.

​The scheme has raised about £10 million so far, according to North Yorkshire Council, all of which has been ring-fenced for housing projects.

​The authority’s homelessness strategy for 2025-30 states that while North Yorkshire is among the least deprived local authority areas in England, there are “pockets of deprivation, particularly in Scarborough”.

​“Approaches are consistently highest in Scarborough and Harrogate. We are seeing more single homeless people and more people declaring support needs and multiple disadvantages, including mental health, substance use, domestic abuse, and contact with the criminal justice system,” the report states.

​The number of households in temporary accommodation is also increasing, with the council reporting particularly strong demand in Scarborough and Harrogate.

​NYC’s gross spend on emergency accommodation has grown rapidly in recent years, from just over £500,000 in 2019/20 to over £2.1 million in 2022/23 – an increase of 400 per cent. Particular pressures are within the Scarborough area, with more people staying longer in emergency accommodation, according to the report.