Colchester City Council’s Cabinet is set to consider a proposal to expand the successful use of former private student accommodation as temporary housing for residents facing homelessness.
Originally approved in September 2024, the initiative saw the first residents move in the following month. By the end of March 2025, 132 households had benefitted from this type of accommodation. The impact has been significant. One resident shared: “The support and facilities are great. I have three children and was really struggling in a hotel without cooking and laundry facilities.” Another described the team’s “kindness and empathy” during a difficult chapter in their life.
The new proposal would extend the scheme to include a further 113 units of former private student housing. These properties offer a more suitable and dignified alternative to hotel rooms, giving families self-contained space with kitchens, laundry facilities, and separate living areas - as well as tailored support to help them transition into long-term housing.
Like many areas across the country, Colchester continues to face mounting pressure from the national housing crisis, marked by a shortage of affordable homes, rising private rents, and increasing homelessness. In 2024/25 alone, Colchester Borough Homes (CBH) assessed 1,563 new homelessness cases, with 693 people requiring emergency accommodation. By March 2025, 449 households were in temporary housing, up from 326 the previous year.
The council and CBH are responding with bold, innovative approaches to help meet rising need. If approved, the expanded use of repurposed student accommodation could be operational within weeks, easing pressure on emergency temporary accommodation and helping people move more quickly into permanent homes.
Meanwhile, longer-term solutions are progressing. Since 2019, the Council has delivered 350 affordable homes, with a new delivery target expected later this year. Plans are also underway to fast-track up to 350 new affordable homes on council-owned land, with development plots at Northern Gateway due to go to market this summer. This will exceed the standard 30% affordable housing requirement, offering more residents access to secure and affordable housing.
Yet the challenge remains stark. As of March 2025, 2,403 applicants were on the city’s Housing Register - including 672 households needing three-bedroom or larger homes. Wait times can exceed five years for families, and up to two years for single applicants.
Councillor Julie Young, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “We know the housing crisis is having a real impact on people’s lives - from families stuck in temporary accommodation to individuals facing the trauma of rough sleeping. That’s why we’re taking bold and compassionate steps to support people in urgent need, and to tackle the root causes of the crisis and plan for a more sustainable future.”
“Repurposing former student accommodation has already made a big difference. It’s about restoring dignity, offering stability, and giving people the support they need to rebuild. Expanding this provision will help us reach more families, reduce costly hotel use, and provide better outcomes for everyone involved.”
“At the same time, we’re pushing ahead with major plans to build hundreds of new affordable homes, including fast-tracking delivery on land we already own. But local action alone isn’t enough. We need urgent national investment, policy reform, and stronger support to make housing genuinely affordable and accessible for all.”
Page last reviewed: 28 May 2025