Milton Keynes continues to face a growing homelessness crisis with a record 773 families in temporary accommodation, including over 1200 children on Friday 19 May. However the number of families in Bed and Breakfast has dropped from over 53% of the homeless to under 4%.

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Milton Keynes South, Cllr Hannah O’Neill, said “Milton Keynes continues to face a huge homelessness challenge and the number in temporary accommodation has grown by 173 households since January, a 29% increase.

Cllr O’Neill added, “But within that terrible story of anguish and hardship for hundreds of families and over 1200 children is one bit of good news. That is the number in B&B has dropped from over 50% of all families to under 4%. This is the lowest percentage since Labour took over responsibility for running the Council.

Cllr O’Neill reinforced the difference between the old Conservative council and the Labour led council.

She continued, “When we took over the Council the number in B&B stood at 53%. I am delighted we have brought it down to 4%. That is still 4% too many and we have to find long term solutions.“

Cllr O’Neill concluded, “Labour are in the process of building or acquiring 98 new council properties this year. This is good but like the fall in use of B&B is only scraping the surface of the problem. What we need is the freedom to build thousands of new affordable council houses for rent and for low cost home ownership. The Tory government is stopping us from doing this. Only a Labour Government will allow us to build much needed new homes and to end the use of B&B and other forms of temporary accommodation.“