Councils forecast £2.3m homelessness overspend
GoogleHomelessness and temporary accommodation is expected to cost two councils in West Sussex more than £2m over budget between them for 2026-27.
Budget monitoring figures projected overspends of £1.5m at Worthing Borough Council (WBC) and £760,000 at Adur District Council, with both identifying homelessness as a major pressure on their finances, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The figures have been highlighted in a report which is set to be discussed by the councils' joint overview and scrutiny committee on 4 November.
Councillors have questioned when the overspending can be reduced and how, the report says.
Across all council services, the report showed WBC overspent by about £3.8m, while ADC spent £385,000 less than budgeted in 2025-26.
It said Adur benefited from tighter spending controls and Worthing was supported by an estimated £4.8m in exceptional funding from the government which, when added to the total budget, showed as an underspend.
Worthing is expected to use £3.7m of this support in 2026-27 and Adur is expected to have an overall underspend of £1.9m, according to its budget forecast.
Councillors also asked officers on the committee about the possible impact of changes to renters' rights legislation and additional government funding to help tackle rough sleeping, the report said.
It came after Chancellor John Healey announced a further £430m to help people sleeping rough in the 2026 Budget, saying it would help keep the government's offer of a route off the streets open for the rest of the current parliament.
A finance working group from the councils is continuing to look at their spending and plans for next year's budget, the report says.
It is due to report back to the joint committee in January 2027.
Both councils have been approached for comment.
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