Greenwich (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Greenwich Council has reduced its reliance on hotels for temporary accommodation by 84%, citing improved housing solutions and better resource management.
Greenwich Council’s financial strain has decreased by approximately £5.88 million as a result of the action, which was completed in just 18 months.
Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of Greenwich council, said:
“We’re leading the way in London at reducing the numbers of families in hotels or B&Bs and have been able to use a holistic approach that harnesses our collective expertise to come up with effective and efficient solutions that will have a lasting impact on people’s lives.”
Only 1,000 of the 26,000 homeless households on the housing register and 2,000 in temporary housing in Greenwich are rehoused annually.
Councils have started using hotels or bed and breakfasts, which lack kitchens and cannot be reserved for more than 28 nights, to accommodate families as a result of the rising number of homeless people in the capital.
Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing Management, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness said:
“Living in a hotel room can have a real impact on families’ well-being during an already vulnerable time in their lives.
It is also very expensive for the council.”
As reported by South London Press & Mercury, the number of hotel rooms required for short-term lodging in Greenwich grew from about five rooms per night in September 2022 to 269 rooms per night in September 2023 in just a single year, resulting in nightly rates of about £22,000.
The council achieved an all-time high of 280 rooms each night in April of last year.
In order to address the situation, 40 specialists from the regeneration, finance, and welfare sectors collaborated with the council’s housing and digital services to identify strategies for reducing the council’s reliance on hotels and bed & breakfasts and directing funds toward early interventions.
Among the first measures were expediting the process of conducting homelessness assessments by giving priority to families and offering 100 direct offers to those who had been in temporary housing for the longest period of time using 50% of the 133 new council homes and vacant homes.
While private sector tenants at risk of homelessness were assisted in keeping their tenancies, targeted support was also provided to council tenants and elderly individuals living in temporary housing to assist them in moving into permanent residences.
According to recent data from March, there were only 44 households staying in hotels, and the council’s expenses had drastically decreased from £29,500 per night at its height in October 2023 to only £3,600 per night in March 2025.
Cllr Slattery said:
“I am so proud that this innovative new joint working has allowed us, in a short space of time, to drive down our use of hotels to virtually nothing.
Our success means that families are in much better accommodation, and we’re saving millions on what should only be reserved for absolute emergencies.
The housing crisis hasn’t ended, but we’ve made great strides in this area – and we’ll continue to work to end other forms of temporary accommodation that aren’t suitable for families, by April next year.”
What alternative forms of temporary accommodation are being used in Greenwich?
An increasing number of council-owned houses have been transformed and made available as temporary housing by the council. This comprises the approximately 197 council homes that are now being used for this purpose; by March 2026, 50 more vacant homes are expected to be added. Because these residences are located within the borough, families can remain close to their areas of employment, education, and support systems.
Through initiatives like Greenwich Millennium Village and Shandy Hill Road, Woolwich, Greenwich has added 133 additional social housing units to its inventory of short-term housing.
Self-contained apartments, homes, bedsits, or rooms in shared houses are examples of temporary housing that offers more stable and appropriate living arrangements than hotels or bed and breakfasts.
Long-term leases are used by the council to find more suitable and reasonably priced short-term lodging options outside of hotels.