Council claims to save £1.2m on temporary accommodation thanks to new project

The civic centre’s housing team has taken a proactive approach to tackling the problem in recent months

Enfield Council says a “targeted initiative” has helped reduce annual spending on temporary accommodation by £1.2million.

The council says it has been helping families facing homelessness access more suitable long-term housing options, reducing its homelessness bill for nightly paid accommodation.

The ‘Knock and Know’ project team visited more than 620 families living in temporary accommodation properties, speaking directly with residents about their housing circumstances, their continued eligibility and ensuring they had access to up-to-date information, advice and support.

During the visits, the council says 48 nightly paid accommodation bookings were cancelled as a direct result of the project, avoiding £1,197,160 of annual cost. This was because some residents no longer needed the accommodation or were ineligible.

The visits also identified a “strong appetite” among residents to explore alternative housing options. A total of 214 families expressed an interest in moving on with support from the council.

Enfield has long had among the highest rates of households living in temporary accommodation, and between 2022 and 2024 the borough saw a spike in homelessness which led to as many as 300 families being placed in hotels and other types of bed-and-breakfast (B&B) accommodation – some for several months.

The problem also caused a financial crisis with the council overspending on its budget for temporary accommodation in 2023/24 by nearly £19m.

The council was able to get a grip on the situation later in 2024 but only thanks to new, stricter rules and a policy that saw many families being shipped off to temporary housing in cheaper parts of the country, including the north-east of England.

Last year, it was announced that the practice of placing homeless families in hotels had ended, but the council does still use expensive nightly paid accommodation bookings with private landlords.

The latest government figures show that out of 3,084 Enfield families in temporary accommodation as of 31st March 2026, nearly half – 1,410 – were being placed in nightly paid private lodgings.

The council’s Knock and Know project has therefore reduced this number by 3.5% so far.

The project has also helped address financial challenges facing some households, with 34 payment plans established to support residents in managing rent arrears and maintaining their accommodation.

Lee Chamberlain, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “The success of project Knock and Know shows the value of speaking directly with residents and ensuring people have access to clear information about their housing circumstances and the options available to them.

“By engaging with families, we have been able to confirm that accommodation is being used by those who need it most, encourage residents to consider the opportunities open to them and support moves into more sustainable housing where appropriate.

“This has also helped reduce reliance on expensive nightly paid accommodation, delivering savings that can be reinvested in vital local services. Ultimately, projects like this help residents make informed decisions about their own housing options while ensuring the council makes the most effective use of public money.”

The engagement exercise also provided “valuable insight” into residents’ circumstances and housing aspirations. It found many families are willing to consider alternative housing options when these are “clearly explained and supported by practical advice”.

At one point five years ago Enfield had the second highest number of families living in temporary accommodation across England. Although the borough does still have more than 3,000 homeless families, this number has been overtaken in recent years by boroughs such as Hackney, Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth.

The latest figures put Enfield tenth in England for temporary housing numbers, with nine out of the top ten local areas being in London.

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