Labour-run Southampton City Council is launching the third phase of a programme which involves buying homes to add to the authority’s housing stock.
In turn, the same number of existing council properties are then used as temporary accommodation for homeless households.
Conservative group leader Peter Baillie said the initiative was not increasing the overall number of homes in the city.
Cllr Peter Baillie, Conservative group leader. Picture: Southampton City Council
Cllr Baillie said: “All we are doing is buying homes that were on the private market and turning them into the council homes, so there is no extra stock.
“The Right to Buy receipts could have been used to actually build new homes and then we would have had more homes for people in the city.
“We’re not actually increasing the number of homes.
“We are not increasing the number of people who can be in accommodation.
“We are just slightly changing who is actually in the accommodation.”
The Harefield ward member said the money could be used to kickstart the building of new homes.
Cllr Baillie added: “We have had many people stand up on the benches opposite saying how great Labour are for building homes, well you had a chance, you got some money and you’ve chosen to do frankly the easy option which is just to buy homes off the private market.
“All that is doing is reducing the private market.”
At full council on March 25, councillors were asked to approve the £12.13 million budget from Right to Buy receipts to purchase up to 30 properties.
Liberal Democrat group leader Richard Blackman said it was important to take a pragmatic approach.
Cllr Blackman said: “What we are deciding today won’t solve the whole problem of homelessness in Southampton and there is still a long way to go in solving many of the city’s housing problems but this will enable Southampton City Council to navigate the demand for homeless households better than it is at the moment and most importantly it will hope those most in need.”
The first phase of the council programme saw 23 properties purchased, while the second is on track to buy 32 homes.
Andy Frampton, Labour councillor responsible for housing, said these acquisitions had led to dozens of households receiving the foundation to rebuild their lives.
Cllr Frampton said: “These homes have freed up much-needed temporary accommodation and have begun to ease the enormous pressure on our homelessness system and have enabled us to reduce the use of expensive bed and breakfast accommodation.
“This is real change, making a real impact, but the need in our city continues to grow.
“More families are approaching us in crisis.
“More children are spending their formative years in accommodation that is not good enough.
“More residents are waiting longer than ever for stability that they deserve.
“Therefore, doing nothing is simply not an option.
“Not morally, not socially and not financially.”