A COUNCIL scheme to tackle homelessness by buying houses could be expanded by £18.5 million.

Bournemouth council is looking to extend its homeless housing investment strategy, which was originally approved back in 2015.

A year later it was backed by £11.7m, and to date the scheme has seen the council buy 35 properties, providing 52 beds between them.

A report to a cabinet meeting on Wednesday next week, prepared by commercial programme manager Sarah Longthorpe and housing chief Lorraine Mealings, states: "The business case outlined an ambitious three-year housing investment programme with a target of buying 60 properties, to provide circa 110 units of accommodation which could be let through different tenancy types and rent levels for homeless households, either by the council or through the company."

The council says it has thus far housed 107 formerly-homeless people in the new properties, some on council tenancies and others on assured shorthold tenancies managed by the council's wholly-owned company Seascape Homes and Property Limited.

These were 42 adults and 65 children.

The report states: "The ambition is to increase borrowing to a total of circa £30m to support the acquisition of up to 66 properties to provide approximately 157 units of accommodation.

"The total portfolio could therefore consist of up to 126 properties providing accommodation for approximately 267 households.

"As per the current programme it is proposed that studios, one-two-three bed properties and HMOs will be acquired to meet the current housing needs."

The proposal to be discussed at cabinet includes an extension for Morrell House, the council's emergency hostel in the north of the town, with 11 new rooms built in a bid to cut down on the need to use bed and breakfasts for temporary accommodation.

According to the report the council is not seeking to build permanent homes for homeless people with this scheme.

"Tenants will be encouraged to plan for their move on as soon as they occupy a property, and it is expected that the majority will be assisted to find their own move-on options within one to two years of moving in.

"It will be critical to manage tenants’ expectations around this from the start and proactive housing management will be in place to help people source their own longer term housing solutions.

"There may be a requirement for tenants to gain independent living skills accreditation to better equip them to move on.

"This will help to free the properties up for others."