On Friday, 8th September, Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, visited Curo’s temporary accommodation service. Wera was invited as part of Starts at Home Day, the National Housing Federation’s campaign to celebrate supported housing.

Curo housed 186 people, including 99 children, in 2022-23 and work in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset council to deliver supported temporary accommodation for families in the local area.

“Curo are providing much-needed temporary accommodation for families who have lost their homes,” said Wera. “There is a huge need, but not enough housing in Bath. Homelessness causes enormous hardship. If we can help families when children are young, we can prevent problems down the line."

As a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Childhood Trauma, Wera explained how she has a special interest in preventing young families from becoming homeless. “We know that trauma, such as homelessness, can have a lasting impact on children. Their schooling may be disrupted, which can have a knock-on effect on their education and life chances.”

Emily Hatrey, Service Manager, talked to Wera about the growing need for the service. “We’re seeing more people referred to our services struggling to find suitable private rented homes that they can afford,” said Emily. “We get families referred to us who have defaulted on their mortgages due to rising costs. We’re also seeing more families who’ve been living in privately rented accommodation and have been issued with a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction by their landlords.

“Last year, Bath and North East Somerset council spent more than £1m on bed and breakfast accommodation for families – that’s a huge increase in spending from previous years,” added Emily. “As a commissioned service, Curo’s accommodation is a more cost-effective way of providing homes for families in need.”

Supported and temporary accommodation services are vital in preventing homelessness and helping people find a place to call home again in their communities.