Fixing Hastings’ Housing crisis – a huge challenge.

"Section 21 notices have increased. According to the Ministry of Justice, the yearly repossession claims from 2011 to 2023 increased by 69%."

Hastings Borough Council (HBC) has recently set out its desire to formulate a housing strategy that will address Hastings’ housing crisis. With an experienced and knowledgeable team forming to provide action on this important issue, there is hope that housing can be improved. This article outlines the large task HBC is facing by discussing the most recent housing figures the local authority has made available.

The council is forecasting that it will spend an additional £430k this financial year on temporary accommodation. This would bring total spend on housing to over £7m, roughly a quarter of its available spend, says HBC. This increase will occur despite the council being given a £2.1m government grant to prevent homelessness and a £10m funding award to acquire properties.

The main reason for this is the large increase in the number of people in temporary accommodation. From April 2021 to early 2025, the numbers in temporary accommodation have risen from 254 to 520, a 105% increase, see Figure 1. Out of the 447 cases that had an identified cause, 184 were due to the end of a shorthold private tenancy (41%). The most common reason for such a tenancy ending was a Landlord wishing to re-sell or re-let the property (120). The next common response was affordability problems (33), with the majority of these cases coming from an increase in rent or a change in personal circumstances. Very few of these cases came from a breach in tenancy. Indeed, it was slightly more common that someone lost their tenancy after complaining about disrepair.

The second most common cause for needing temporary accommodation was due to a private tenancy (defined as not shorthold) ending. An additional 50 cases result from domestic abuse incidents. Therefore, this means that 264 cases occur due to a tenancy ending or an individual needing to move for safety (59% of all cases). This means that more than half of all temporary accommodation cases occur mostly due to circumstances completely beyond an individual’s and the council’s control. The other 40% of cases occur due to a relationship breakdown or a family no longer being able to accommodate a person. Again, something that individuals and councils have limited control over.

Figure 1: The number of temporary accommodation placements of Hastings residents 2021 - 2024. Source: HBC.

The core reason why increasing numbers of people are unable to acquire affordable accommodation is a recent rapid rise in both housing and rental prices, a squeeze on incomes and the displacement of people. In the last 10 years, according to ONS data, there has been an 83% increase in house prices, and since 2019, average one-bedroom rent prices have increased by 55%. This acceleration in prices within a short space of time has resulted in more people being unable to financially adapt. The rise in prices has been even higher in the capital and this has caused some to search for a new place to live. With the pandemic locking people in the city, an increased number of people began to see living beside the sea as desirable. As Hastings’ house prices are still significantly lower than those in London, this, in part, led to a net gain of 1,870 people migrating between London and Hastings. As these people moved in, the number of section 21 notices increased. According to the Ministry of Justice, the yearly repossession claims from 2011 to 2023 increased by 69% (1,327 to 2,241 cases- See Figure 2). It should be noted that not all people who are moved out by their landlord face a section 21 notice. But still, these figures are an indication that people moving in has displaced long-term residents. As these residents are displaced, they are forced to get back into the private market and seek alternative accommodation, with increasing numbers finding that there is nowhere affordable for them to live.

For those on lower incomes, this unaffordability has partly arisen due to the housing allowance being frozen from 2013 to 2020, at a time of rapid rent price escalation. It was then frozen again from 2020 to 2024. Those reliant on housing support searching for new accommodation now find that 97% of one and two-bedroom households in Hastings are priced at more than £80 of what the housing allowance will cover. For 3-bedroom houses, the housing allowance does not cover 94% of households within a £80 shortfall. As people cannot always cover these shortfalls, especially when experiencing a change of circumstances, they often require temporary accommodation, partly explaining HBC’s rise in claims.

Figure 2: Landlord repossession claims from Hastings, 2000 - 2024. Source: MOJ dataset on housing repossessions per local authority.

These trends have led to a scenario where a large number of people are on the housing register. 615 people are in band A, defined as in critical or urgent need to move. 383 are on band B (typically individuals with health conditions or in overcrowded or unsanitary accommodation. A further 434 are on band C and 115 on band D, defined as a general need for housing. This makes 1,547 people in total. Even when only focusing on the two most urgent categories, HBC does not have the accommodation it requires to address need. This has resulted in the council spending money to house people in private accommodation, sometimes out of town, which can be very costly. A FOI to HBC revealed that HBC had placed 637 people into temporary accommodation outside of Hastings, with the peak of this displacement occurring in 2022-2023 – with people mostly being sent to Eastbourne. Rother and Medway were the next most common destinations.

To address this displacement, the council is using the money it has been given by the central government to acquire new homes, which can be used to house people in need at a lower cost. The council is also working on preventing homelessness, stopping 177 cases since April last year. They are also helping displaced people back into the private sector, 81 cases in the last year. Additionally, the council is introducing compliance orders to remove hazards from homes (224 cases in 2023/24) and is adapting homes so people can stay in them. The housing team is also helping those in financial difficulty manage their budgets so they can pay their rent and stay in the private rented sector. The council is also cracking on setting up a housing strategy, something campaigners have long been working for. Interestingly, the figures of temporary accommodation numbers appear to be peaking, giving hopeful signs that the council’s actions are working and the housing crisis is being addressed.

Author: James Prentice.