THURROCK councillors have welcomed a new report that they hope will pave the way to reducing the borough's soaring homelessness bill, which is projected to reach nearly £10 million this year.

The report, presented at a place overview and scrutiny committee meeting last week, follows a 12-week independent review into the council's homelessness service.

Commissioned by cabinet member for social housing Cllr Mark Hurrell, the review uncovered serious failings in how the council has responded to rising demand and escalating costs.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Hurrell said: "This is a statutory service that plays a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable residents. Over recent years, the pressures have increased significantly – rising demand, limited housing supply and the cost of temporary accommodation have created real challenges."

He added that the review was not about assigning blame but about "getting the clearest possible picture of the issues so we can put things right."

The findings have already been translated into a detailed action plan, supported by weekly working groups and a monthly board attended by senior officers and Cllr Hurrell.

The review revealed that temporary accommodation placements rose by 171 per cent between 2020 and 2025, with only a small number of households moving on each month. Officers are managing caseloads up to three times the recommended level, and less than 13 per cent of the Homelessness Prevention Grant has been spent on actual prevention.

Claire Demmel, the council's executive director for place, acknowledged a "failure of leadership" and said staff had been trying to run the service with limited resources and "little or no support."

Steve Liddiard, Labour councillor for Tilbury St Chads, also welcomed the renewed focus on prevention. "At the moment, we're leaving it right to the last minute. People are in a desperate state," he said.

Today (Tuesday, 7 October) Cllr Liddiard told BBC Essex: "Our homeless situation in Thurock has been pretty dire. We don't have the houses available."

Cllr Liddiard pointed a finger at London councils for taking up chucks of the private rental market in Thurrock to house their residents 'because they can afford to pay higher rents'. 

He added: "We need to do something to minimise the situation" and said a 'homelessness prevention team' would be welcomed.

Publication of the report and last week's Thurrock Nub News story, prompted a locally-based homeless charity to criticise the council, which in turn prompted an offer of more consulation and communication.

Also speaking to BBC Essex's Akylah Rodriguez today, Steve Stuart, founder of Friends of Essex and London Homeless, who led criticism of the council last week, said: "It's quite brave that the council started this review, it's long overdue but we do welcome it."

"It's something we have been banging the drum about for a long time.

"We were disappointed that the council didn't consult with us about the review; we knew nothing about it until it came out.

"But what was in it means that everyone can see that there is a pandemic and a crisis going on on our doorstep.

"It's hugely important that we deal with this. 

"We've been living with his and helping out for coming up to ten years. We've had a little help from the council but not as much as we would have liked.  

"We've banged on their door on many occasions and had some meetings over the years but nothing's ever come of those meetings with people.

"And here we are now with this damning report that we really need to get our teeth into.

"We presented to the council in January 2024 about what we should be doing in terms of prevention. 

"There do need to be more resources and the focus seems to be to get as many of us together, to so people knbow where they can go to. It's not going to be a quick fix."

The council owns 220 temporary accommodation properties but relies heavily on costly nightly-paid units. Plans are underway to increase incentives for private landlords, particularly those offering homes within the borough.

Key recommendations include restructuring the service into three specialist teams, creating a triage hub, and investing £250,000 in a home visiting team to clear backlogs and support early intervention.

The findings and action plan will continue to be scrutinised as the council seeks to stabilise its homelessness service and reduce financial risk.