Home-owners in part of Kent are being offered up to £200,000 to sell their properties and, in doing so, help solve the homelessness crisis.

Swale council has tasked estate agents with finding people who would be interested in selling up.

The local authority has a £10 million pot and is approaching households with a quick cash-sale offer in a bid to find 50 homes.

It wants to increase its housing stock so it can help more people in need of a roof over their heads and cut down on its use of bed and breakfasts.

The council is currently providing temporary accommodation for 306 households and has seen an 89% increase in families in that situation in the last four years.

Four are in B&Bs and the rest are in temporary housing provided by nightly let providers or a housing association.

The council has just three of its own properties, bought several years ago, and wants to boost its housing stock in the borough.

A council spokesman said: “It is our responsibility as a council to provide Temporary Accommodation (TA) to residents if they are homeless and are in priority need which comes at a great cost as we do not have any housing stock and have to look to more temporary solutions.

“This plan to buy 50 new homes aims to tackle TA shortages in Swale and create savings in the long term.

“We want to make sure the vulnerable in our society are looked after and these plans are a step towards maintaining that goal.”

The properties must meet the criteria of having 90 years left on their lease.

They also have to have a maximum energy rating of C or above and be worth less than £200,000.

Last year the council spent £4.9m on temporary accommodation and is expecting to spend a similar amount this year.

The spokesman added: “We can reclaim a portion through housing benefit and contributions and this leaves a net cost to the council of around £2.7m.”

The authority plans to borrow the £10m to fund the purchases.