Swale council is looking to spend £11m on 50 homes to be used for temporary accommodation in a bid to tackle homelessness.

One in every 166 people in the borough are without a fixed abode, according to charity Shelter – the second highest rate in Kent.

The authority's housing and health committee is set to decide on whether to borrow £11m to buy 20 one-bed and 30 two-bed properties on the open market to help get people off the streets.

All have an average purchase price of £200,000 each, which also includes the cost of stamp duty and refurbishment.

A report into the proposals said: “There is a statutory responsibility for the council to provide TA to residents if they are homeless and are in priority need or at the relief stage there is ‘reason to believe’ they are in priority need.”

Swale has the highest level of temporary accommodation in Kent – with 5.92 people in every 1,000 needing help at the end of September, when the South East average is 2.83.

Some 394 households were in council-provided temporary accommodation at the end of 2022.

The council pays £39-a-night for a one-bedroom property and £50 for two bedrooms.

Since 2018/19, 638 new homes have been delivered to those in need, however the report states that a "significant backlog" still remains.

It adds the purchase “will provide the council with more control over the quality of temporary accommodation available locally as well as being able to achieve greater control of revenue costs”.

The recommended budget would be spent over the next two years and is said to save the council approximately £72,000 annually.

A similar scheme was put forward to Medway Council in December – to borrow £5.6 million to buy TA homes and was approved by councillors.

The meeting for the new proposals will take place on Tuesday at 7pm.