Stark figures have revealed the number of people across Weymouth and Portland who don’t have a permanent home – with nine families stuck in a bed and breakfast for more than six weeks.

Government figures released this week show a sharp increase in the amount of people in temporary accommodation and, while local authorities are helping hundreds of families at risk of losing their home, campaigners are calling for more to be done.

National charity Crisis said that ‘no one deserves to live like this’ and stressed the mental and physical health problems that people stuck in temporary accommodation are likely to suffer from.

Figures show that there are 76 people currently in temporary accommodation in Weymouth and Portland – a 28 per cent increase from 2017 when there were 59 people, and a 52 per cent rise since 2010. Of these, 18 are in bed and breakfast accommodation, compared to nine in 2017 and just three in 2010.

Figures also show a ‘snapshot’ of the number of families with children who had been living in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks. As of March 31 this year, the number was nine, the same amount as in December. But in September 2017 there were just two families with children stuck in bed and breakfasts for more than six weeks. Throughout the whole of 2015 two families were in this situation while in 2014 and 2013 there were none at all.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is working hard to try to prevent homelessness. In the first quarter of 2018, their actions prevented 36 people becoming homeless, either through action enabling them to stay in their current home, or by finding them alternative accommodation.

In 2017 the council stepped in to help 152 people from becoming homeless.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “While we welcome steps the Government has taken around preventing homelessness, these figures are a stark reminder that there are still far too many people who are homeless and stuck in temporary accommodation or being placed in sub-standard and sometimes dangerous B&Bs.

“Every day we see first-hand the effects of long stays in these types of accommodation; people can become isolated, with little access to vital support services, in poor conditions with nowhere to wash clothes or cook.

“No one deserves to live like this. When people quickly get the help they need they are far less likely to develop mental and physical health problems. They are far more likely to build networks, find work and move out of homelessness for good. In 21st century Britain homelessness isn’t inevitable. Now that we know the solutions to end homelessness we’re calling on the Government to take swift action to tackle the problem and fix it once and for all.”

"Long-term solution is to build more houses"

Cllr Gill Taylor, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's spokesman for housing, said the only solution to the problem is to build more homes.

"The numbers are going up," she added. "The number of people in bed and breakfasts does fluctuate but it averages at about 22 people a month. Temporary accommodation is more permanent but on a temporary basis.

"We don't like people having to stay in B&Bs because it's not appropriate, especially for families with young children, and they are moved into temporary accommodation as soon as possible."

Cllr Taylor said people in Weymouth are 'very heavily reliant' on the private rented sector - but there is a gap between what people are given as housing allowance and what the landlords are asking for rent.

"As a council we have brought a property to use for homeless provision for single people and we are hoping to buy another to use as an alternative to putting people in B&Bs.

"We also have a new role within the housing team as an accommodation finder to work directly with private landlords to try and help."

Ultimately, the only long-term way to solve the issue is to build more houses, Cllr Taylor added.