Brighton and Hove City Council spent millions of pounds on housing homeless people in bed and breakfasts and hostels last year.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show the council spent a total of £44.3 million on temporary homeless housing in the year to March, up from £32.9 million the year before.

Private sector accommodation leased by the local authority accounted for a significant amount of spending with £25.1 million paid – 57 per cent of the total expenditure for temporary accommodation last year.

A further £2.6 million (six per cent) went towards housing people in bed and breakfasts in the area.

And about £1.9 million (four per cent) went towards hostels which includes refuges and emergency accommodation.

Last year's spending is also higher than the amount spent five years ago when £21.8 million was put towards temporary homeless accommodation in the area – equating to a real-terms increase of 80 per cent.

Across England, an estimated £1.6 billion was used by local authorities towards short-term accommodation for people facing homelessness in 2021-22 – up five per cent from the previous year and a 62 per cent real-terms increase from five years ago.

Of last year’s total expenditure, £407 million went towards bed and breakfasts and hostels. Spending on bed and breakfasts alone has increased seven per cent in real terms since 2016-17.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Homelessness is bad for the economy and it’s even worse for the people whose lives it destroys.

“It defies all logic to shell out over £1.6 billion on grim B&Bs and grotty flats, instead of helping people to keep hold of their home in the first place.

"Allowing homelessness to rise unchecked during the cost-of-living crisis, will only cost more in the long run.”

She said housing benefit, which assists people who are unemployed, low-income, or on other benefits to pay rent, must be unfrozen so people can better pay rent and added the government must build "truly affordable" social homes to end homelessness.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesman said it is providing councils with £316 million this year to prevent homelessness.

“Temporary accommodation is a last resort, but a vital lifeline for those at risk of sleeping rough,” they said.

“We know people are concerned about rising costs, which is why have announced the Energy Price Guarantee, to support household with their energy bills over the winter, and a further £37 billion of support for those struggling with the cost of living.”

Brighton and Hove City Council were contacted for comment.