By Latifa Yedroudj, Junior Local Democracy Reporter
A bowling pavilion in Gedling could be turned into a night shelter to tackle a rise in homelessness.
Gedling Borough Council is also planning to buy more temporary accommodation to meet the growing demand locally.
A new council report on the issue reads: “Work is ongoing to identify new prevention measures. Additional temporary accommodation units are being purchased and work is under way to examine the possibility of using the bowling pavilion located in Arnot Hill Park as a potential night shelter.”
The measures are planned due to a rising number of homeless applications in the borough over the years, council documents say.
In 2023, a total of 266 people in Gedling were found homeless, according to figures by national housing charity Shelter. This included those in bed and breakfasts, hostels and other emergency housing.
Section 21 notices were the second-most common reason for homelessness in Gedling, the council reports adds.
Landlords can use Section 21 to evict their tenants during a ‘periodic’ tenancy or after a fixed term tenancy.
A ‘periodic tenancy’ is a tenancy with no end date. This means landlords can evict tenants at any time without providing a reason.
The waiting list for social housing applications had also increased in Gedling from 543 in October 2021 to 768 in October 2024, the report says.
Arnold Food Bank, located in Daybrook Baptist Church, serves people from across the area.
Helen Lloyd, manager of the project, said the number of families who use their services is rising.
She said many haven’t been able to afford the rising costs of rent from landlords.
“There is a lack of affordable renting in the area, and it is above their housing benefit allowance,” she said.
“Families can’t top that up and discretionary housing payments are running out.
“We’ve had families evicted for no particular reason, it puts them in a crisis situation. With a rise in mortgages, landlords raise their rents and families can’t afford those payments. There’s nowhere for them to go.”
The issue will be discussed at Gedling Borough Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, January 13.
