HUNDREDS of residents facing homelessness were turned away by Thurrock Council before the first national lockdown, it has been revealed.

The council's annual report revealed only 211 of 1,800 people who asked for help to prevent them becoming homeless were given assistance in 2019/2020.

However, councillors claimed they housed "100 per cent" of reported rough sleepers last year during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opposition Labour group leader Cllr John Kent raised the issue at a recent corporate overview and scrutiny committee meeting.

He said: "The number of households at risk of homeless and approaching the council for assistance we are told is 1,800 and of that, only 211 were actually accepted as genuine homeless cases. That's a rate of 11.5 per cent. That feels incredibly low.

"I would like some comfort that housing officers doing a fantastic job on making sure that people don't lose their home and not just us turning people away when they are in dire need. I do have a fear that people out there aren't getting the help they need."

Speaking at last week's cabinet meeting, Luke Spillman, the councillor responsible for housing, praised the council for getting the homeless off the streets during lockdown.

He said: "I'd like to pay tribute to outgoing officers who were in charge of housing during the toughest period you could imagine and the outgoing portfolio holder Barry Johnson. They did an amazing job. We housed 100 per cent of reported rough sleepers last year during a once-in-a-100-year pandemic and it's something we should be very proud of."

Councils were given funding and had a statutory duty to get rough sleepers off the street during the pandemic but with lockdown lifting there are signs they will be back out on the streets.

Kate Harrison, a support worker with Open Door Thurrock, says: "Hostels are beginning to evict people because they are no longer classed as a priority. During lockdown councils haven't been allowed to have people living on the street but that's coming to an end and we are beginning to see people coming to us.

"With people in danger of becoming homeless, if it doesn't fit in with the guidelines the council can't accept it. For instance, they will ask if someone has somewhere to sleep that night and if they say they can sleep on someone's settee then they aren't classed as homeless.

"They didn't used to count someone sleeping in a car. When they did a headcount of rough sleepers they wouldn't count anyone sleeping in a car. That's not right but there was a ruling two or three years ago that they would be more prevention of homelessness."