COLCHESTER Council is looking to buy back homes and use student accommodation in a bid to tackle homelessness in the city.

The council is considering charging affordable rent for homes it sold under the right-to-buy scheme.

Another option is leasing private sector student accommodation to help alleviate “an acute housing shortage in Colchester.”

The council has plans to buy back up to 20 homes each year as well as rent private student accommodation to house 100 homeless families.

It is looking to charge affordable rent for the homes, which is where the maximum rent inclusive of service charge for a new tenant under a new tenancy is 80 per cent of the market rent.

A total of 364 households, as of August 13, live in temporary accommodation in Colchester with 122 living in bed and breakfasts which often lack “core facilities” such as cooking and laundry.

There is also a waiting list of 2,500 houses in Colchester for social housing.

Pam Cox, MP for Colchester, said: “Colchester Council is having to put sticking plasters on a system that is broken.

“Too many families in Colchester can’t find affordable housing and that leaves the council needing to step in and do what it can.

“Temporary accommodation should only be a stop gap to a proper home, and I hope that extra provision locally will mean people don’t have to move too far from schools, work and support networks.

“Increasing the supply of long-term housing for people is the most important thing the council can help do to alleviate the housing crisis and so I support the increase of council houses whether that’s new builds or buying back former council homes which the council has been doing now for a number of years.”

Council documents read: "As referred to this report, there is an acute housing shortage in Colchester.

“Current costs being paid by Colchester City Council range from £38 to £130 per night for a single person to around £160 per night per room for families.

"At the April 11 2024 leadership group meeting it was decided to prioritise capital investment in permanent homes instead of temporary housing.

With regard to temporary housing it was agreed that flexible options should be explored such as expanding the use of private sector lettings and leased accommodation so that the council’s use of accommodation can respond flexibly as demand changes over time.”