Council spends £4m buying homes to tackle homelessness
Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter
A council has purchased 20 local properties as part of a £4m plan to reduce pressures on homelessness and temporary housing services.
It comes as part of the Neath Port Talbot Property Purchase Project which was approved in 2025 to support households experiencing homelessness by increasing the stock of locally managed accommodation.
Council bosses were given an update in September 2026 about the project which now enables them to acquire properties from the open market in support of their rapid re-housing plan.
Welsh Government data showed that as of July 2026 there were 394 homeless individuals temporarily accommodated across Neath Port Talbot county.
A report said a total of 20 properties had been purchased under the three-year scheme from a capital investment pot of £4m.
These include ten currently being used as shared interim accommodation, eight undergoing works, one being used as settled accommodation for a family with another ready to be used.
It added that the move had been positive for the 27 individuals who had been accommodated, who would have otherwise needed hotel or bed and breakfast placement.
The report said: “For clients moving from hotel or Bed and Breakfast accommodation, the practical difference can be significant.
“Access to a kitchen allows clients to prepare meals and manage food costs, while access to household and laundry facilities, where available, supports greater independence in daily living.
“Personal space, quieter surroundings and access to outdoor space can support the re-establishment of daily routines and a greater sense of stability.
“The first clients moved into the shared interim accommodation in April
2026.
“Since then, 27 people have been accommodated across the 10
shared properties, including 13 people who moved directly from the
Ambassador Hotel.
“Of the 27 people accommodated, eight have since moved out, including six who have been rehoused. At time of reporting, 19 people remain accommodated across the shared properties.”
It also highlighted that since approval more than 300 properties had been shortlisted or assessed for the scheme.
Officers said while it had been complex it had also provided a number of positive impacts, particularly in helping people learn the skills needed to move on to more settled accommodation.
They added they were now looking at how to progress with purchasing the final ten of 30 properties that were targeted over the three-year period.
Councillors in attendance at a social services scrutiny meeting welcomed the update describing the project as brilliant and a “win win”.
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Common sense prevails.
Please remember Neath Port Talbot gave away their housing stock to a newly formed housing association because they could not manage the housing stock. What is different now, have they had an epiphany and found out how to manage housing stock
Oops forgot , where did they get the money from, they cannot fix potholes in the roads
If you think potholes are more important than human beings then you are a horrible selfish person who makes the world a worse place for being in it.
You realise that tenants pay rent that covers maintenance and finance costs?
Why not build as well as buying existing properties that £4 million could easily anchor a wider regional development scheme, transforming it into a total project value of £12 million to £15 million. Instead of 20 homes, you’re looking at a coordinated community build of 45 to 60 energy-efficient 2- and 3-bed homes.
I live near Bridgend, fortunately in RCT. From what i hear about empty properties in that Town, One person owns over three quarters of those empty properties. I know that he owns the former Head Post Office. Hopefully all Political parties shall seek to come to agreement to end this waste of much needed housing, for our families.
Hopefully all local Authorities in Wales, shall use the authority they could use,1 compulsory Purchase to help alleviate the need for people to live.