SO far Bournemouth council has bought 40 properties as part of its ongoing homelessness strategy.

Of this portfolio, worth around £8.2 million and containing 62 individual units of accommodation, 23 are leased to Seascape Homes and Property Limited - the council's wholly owned company which allows it to issue assured shorthold tenancies.

So far, the great majority of these properties are in East Cliff and Springbourne and Kinson South.

The figures are contained in a report to the borough's Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel, which states that, as of the end of August, 135 people including 81 children had been accommodated.

The report states: "A further 27 units of accommodation are progressing through the conveyancing process to provide 89 units in total.

"Therefore to date 80 per cent of the projected 110 unit target detailed in the original three year business case will have been acquired/sourced within the first 18 months.

"It is projected that the current programme will be completed by March 31, 2018, a year ahead of schedule. Progress has been much quicker than expected.

"With the further funding of £18.5m having been approved to expand the programme, acquisitions will continue for the next three years until 2020."

The report provides more detail on the strategy's approach to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), which often prove controversial in planning applications. In particular, such properties are often linked with crime and antisocial behaviour in the Boscombe area.

The borough has a planning policy presuming against new applications for this housing type in areas where registered HMOs make up more than 10 per cent of available housing stock. Even then, residents often claim properties are in use as HMOs without the council's knowledge.

The report states that "efforts are made to balance the geographical spread of HMOs across the town subject to availability", however the council may purchase existing HMOs in the Boscombe area.

Such properties are essential, the report says, so the council can house single under-35 year olds receiving the shared room local housing allowance benefit rate.

"The current criteria encourages the acquisition of smaller three to six person HMOs, however larger HMOs may still be considered for purchase if suitable and could be used to provide additional emergency hostels for families," the report says.

"It also highlights the preference to source existing licensed HMOs, however if a property is identified that meets the HMO acquisition criteria and is deemed suitable then a change of use application may be progressed."