Days Inn to stop taking council bookings for homeless
Wednesday, 15th January 2014.
A Haverhill hotel is to end its recent practice of accepting bookings from councils to house temporarily homeless people in bed and breakfast accommodation.
The changes are taking place at Days Inn this year as the hotel steps away from its arrangements with local authorities to concentrate on the development of its corporate business and conferencing services.
The hotel started working with a number of local authorities in October 2011 to provide emergency accommodation for families and individuals who found themselves unintentionally homeless.
A shortage of temporary housing alternatives means that placing people in bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation is often the only option available to the local authority.
An increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation compounds the situation. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government statistics there were 57,350 households in this classification at the end of September 2013, a rise of eight per cent on the same period in 2012.
Nic Rumsey, owner of Days Inn Haverhill, said: “A lack of housing has been a serious issue in the UK for as long as I can remember.
"I don’t believe that many of us fully appreciate the scale of the problem. We tend to think of homeless people as those we see wrapped in a blanket in the street, ‘sleeping rough’.
"People who are staying anywhere on a temporary basis, with family and friends or in shelters and hostels are homeless too.
"When I was approached by a local councillor to see if the hotel could help with providing emergency accommodation I felt it was the right thing to do.”
The Days Inn team has worked with local authorities to help them to fulfil their duty of care in providing shelter for people who have required emergency accommodation.
In the last year the Government has increased its focus and funding on addressing the housing issue, expanding its investment in the Build-to-Rent fund to £1billion in the 2013 Budget and continuing its commitment to the Affordable Homes Guarantee programme.
This investment should see a reduction in the number of households in temporary accommodation.
Mr Rumsey said: “The increasing confidence in Government housing initiatives and the positive news on the economy has influenced our decision not to renew our agreements with the local authorities in 2014.
"I think it is important for the private and public sector to work together and to pool their resources, especially if there is a social need.
"For just over a year we have been able to provide additional resources for the local authorities to tap into. However we are a commercial enterprise and the development of our business is our primary objective.
"The Days Inn is an award-winning hotel and conferencing facility with a fantastic team - we have a lot to offer. This year we are keen to develop our corporate business and to ensure that we are in a strong position to respond to the anticipated upturn in the economy.”
For further information about the hotel or conferencing facilities please visit www.haverhilldaysinn.co.uk, call 01440 716950 or email reservations@haverhilldaysinn.co.uk.
The changes are taking place at Days Inn this year as the hotel steps away from its arrangements with local authorities to concentrate on the development of its corporate business and conferencing services.
The hotel started working with a number of local authorities in October 2011 to provide emergency accommodation for families and individuals who found themselves unintentionally homeless.
A shortage of temporary housing alternatives means that placing people in bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation is often the only option available to the local authority.
An increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation compounds the situation. According to the Department for Communities and Local Government statistics there were 57,350 households in this classification at the end of September 2013, a rise of eight per cent on the same period in 2012.
Nic Rumsey, owner of Days Inn Haverhill, said: “A lack of housing has been a serious issue in the UK for as long as I can remember.
"I don’t believe that many of us fully appreciate the scale of the problem. We tend to think of homeless people as those we see wrapped in a blanket in the street, ‘sleeping rough’.
"People who are staying anywhere on a temporary basis, with family and friends or in shelters and hostels are homeless too.
"When I was approached by a local councillor to see if the hotel could help with providing emergency accommodation I felt it was the right thing to do.”
The Days Inn team has worked with local authorities to help them to fulfil their duty of care in providing shelter for people who have required emergency accommodation.
In the last year the Government has increased its focus and funding on addressing the housing issue, expanding its investment in the Build-to-Rent fund to £1billion in the 2013 Budget and continuing its commitment to the Affordable Homes Guarantee programme.
This investment should see a reduction in the number of households in temporary accommodation.
Mr Rumsey said: “The increasing confidence in Government housing initiatives and the positive news on the economy has influenced our decision not to renew our agreements with the local authorities in 2014.
"I think it is important for the private and public sector to work together and to pool their resources, especially if there is a social need.
"For just over a year we have been able to provide additional resources for the local authorities to tap into. However we are a commercial enterprise and the development of our business is our primary objective.
"The Days Inn is an award-winning hotel and conferencing facility with a fantastic team - we have a lot to offer. This year we are keen to develop our corporate business and to ensure that we are in a strong position to respond to the anticipated upturn in the economy.”
For further information about the hotel or conferencing facilities please visit www.haverhilldaysinn.co.uk, call 01440 716950 or email reservations@haverhilldaysinn.co.uk.
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