Stark figures show scale of South Tyneside's homelessness problem - and how council bosses are tackling it

Figures produced by South Tyneside Council noted, as of the end of December, the organisation had 234 “active homeless cases.”

Meanwhile over the first three quarters of the 2024/25 financial year the local authority has had a total of 2,457 homeless applications submitted, with 227 coming in December alone.

However officers stressed not all homeless applications equate to homeless cases, and a variety of work is ongoing to address the issue.

In December 2024, 23 “homeless preventions” were recorded by the council’s housing options team, taking their total for the year to date to 279.

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Similarly the team recorded 26 “relieved” homeless cases in December, marking 318 for the year.

This means the council housing team has recorded a combined 597 actions towards “ending homelessness” during the 2024/25 financial year to date.

The borough-wide figures were presented by council housing officers at the latest meeting of Hebburn Community Area Forum at Hebburn Central on Monday, February 17.

Councillor Angela Lamonte, Hebburn South ward representative, noted it is the “last thing people want” to be faced with becoming homeless and a variety of work is being done to support residents.

She said: “We’re focusing more on getting people to sustain their tenancy and giving them all the help that they can, which is good.”

Officers reported the local authority has a “tenancy sustainment team” which provides intensive support to those in council homes who have “vulnerabilities, complex needs, or who have experienced a life-changing event.”

These vulnerabilities and complex needs include customers experiencing mental health issues, domestic violence, and substance misuse issues.

They added referrals into the team are often because of a “combination of property condition issues, anti-social behaviour, safeguarding concerns, and rent arrears.”

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It comes after in November the council’s ruling cabinet received a report on the local authority’s homelessness and rough sleeping review from 2019 to 2024.

This was ahead of a public consultation taking place before the council formulates its next Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

Leading councillors reported the borough had “recorded an increase in presentations for housing and homelessness advice by an average of 9% per year over the five year review period”.

It increased from 2,280 households in 2019/20 to 3,093 presentations in 2023/24.

However they noted overall the council had seen a decline in homelessness applications being taken, with a 20% reduction from 2019/20 to 2023/24.