Thanet council plans to increase its homelessness accommodation with the purchase of the former Glendevon Hotel in Ramsgate.
Cabinet members will discuss the purchase at a meeting on March 14.
The property in Truro Road has recently been refurbished and includes seven self-contained rooms, each with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom/living area. A report to Cabinet members says the owner has indicated acceptance of an offer of £650,000.
The aim would be to replicate the Foy House accommodation in Margate which provides eight self-contained 1 and 2 bedroom flats for individuals and families with urgent housing needs, who are being supported by the council.
A further £45,000 will be used to adapt the Ramsgate property, bringing the total scheme costs to £695,000.
Last year £2.2m was agreed for the council’s capital programme for a second temporary accommodation project following the success of Foy House.
The council also bought the former Oasis refuge in Edgar Road, with the final tranche of funding from the Cliftonville intervention programme (Live Margate) with the intention of converting to a further 16 homes.
The property is being used by the RISE homelessness service for rough sleeping support, with combined services on site until March 2025 with the housing project planned to start on site for the conversion works in April 2025.
As of 25th January this year, there were 288 Thanet households in temporary accommodation. Of those, 171 households were placed outside of Thanet.
Thanet council deputy leader Cllr Helen Whitehead said: “The need to support our residents with further in-house temporary accommodation is essential. Families and individuals need to be close to their loved ones, their schools, their work, their community.
“Growing our in-house temporary accommodation provision that began with Foy House is a key priority and we will continue to prioritise this.
“Long term homes are our continual goal, and our new acquisitions strategy is producing council housing at a significant rate, with 123 future council homes secured in only four months, but we have to support residents now.
“Growing our in-house temporary accommodation is the way forward and keeping residents in area and connected to their support systems is vital to the health of our community.”
There are plans to look for a third temporary accommodation building and exploration of how individual properties might be bought for use by people who have pets.
Cllr Whitehead said: “We are exploring how best we can support the broad range of residents who require temporary accommodation services, including looking at how we can support those with pets to ensure families can stay together.”
The acquisition of the property in Truro Road will be discussed by Cabinet members at Thanet council on March 14.
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