EMPTY university accommodation could be used to help the growing number of families facing homelessness in Southend.

Southend Council’s latest reports show 326 households in the city are currently placed in temporary accommodation in the city under the council’s statutory duty.

Of those, 245 are in accommodation owned by the council in hostels and empty Queensway flats, 32 are in self-contained private nightly lets and 49 are in private B&Bs.

A number of options are now being considered to help tackle the issue, and the report reveals early discussions have taken place with the University of Essex, which has accommodation in the city centre.

It follows a move by Basildon Council to spend £80 million on buying empty homes to be used as temporary accommodation rather than rely on the private sector.

Anne Jones, councillor responsible for planning and housing, said: “Discussions regarding alternative temporary accommodation in the city are on very early stages and no decisions have been made.

“In any approach we receive, the resultant amount of rooms and how it would be used, would depend on many factors to ensure we are supplying good temporary accommodation.

“The plan referenced with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is one to support us to move towards better quality temporary accommodation for homeless families in the city.”

Earlier this year, the council’s annual report showed in March there were 319 households in temporary accommodation in the city “exceeding available hostel or council properties available”. It was 219 in the same period last year.

The upward trend prompted the council to bring empty flats in Queensway tower blocks due for demolition back into service. The report which will be considered by the place scrutiny committee on Monday, said the council now avoids housing anyone it does not have to under the Rough Sleeping Initiative although it still commissions 12 bed spaces via the Harp homeless charity.

The report said: “As well as specific, agreed projects to enhance settled and temporary accommodation provision, the plan also includes an action to continually horizon scan for new opportunities to increase suitable temporary and settled supply for homeless households. A recent example of this is some early discussions with the University of Essex.”