A COUNCIL aims to spend £4million on temporary accommodation for homeless people.

Mid Sussex District Council plans to buy 20 properties and lease a further ten.

Most would be one or two-bedroom homes in Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.

A business plan says that the scheme would save the council £375,000 a year.

The council currently spends £346,000 a year on providing temporary accommodation.

Buying a large property such as a hotel or care home was not recommended at a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

A report for council leaders said there were no suitable properties available in the area and the project would be “financially uncertain” in the long run.

Judy Holmes, assistant chief executive, said: “The idea behind this is to find a more sustainable way of supporting people we have a duty towards because they are homeless. There are clear financial benefits to this service and clear benefits to the families.”

Councillor in charge of housing Andrew MacNaughton said: “It’s so important to the families to stay close to where they want to be.

“Some temporary accommodation is well outside the district.

“We don’t expect to spend this all at once – we have to find the right properties – but I’m very, very pleased this is moving forward.”

“It’s so important to the families to stay close to where they want to be.

There has been a drop in the number of families accepted as homeless by the council, but a rise in the number living in temporary accommodation.