A housing options open day for residents placed in temporary accommodation by the council attracted more than 200 households.

Held at the council’s headquarters, Observatory House, on Thursday 22 January, it offered an opportunity for residents to meet the council’s temporary accommodation and housing allocations teams.

Representatives from Reloc8uk, Homefinder, Bridge Housing Solutions and LizzieB were also on hand throughout the day to offer tailored advice, discuss housing pathways, and support residents exploring permanent housing opportunities.

Councillor Robert Stedmond, lead member for housing, said: “It was a fantastic turnout, with between 200 and 250 households attending. Many of our relocation partners took applications for their schemes on the day.

“The council teams spoke to residents, ensured their concerns were heard and offered them advice and assistance with their additional options to move on from temporary accommodation.

“We recognise that we have a small amount of housing stock. This event wasn’t about offering other housing on the spot, but it was an opportunity to look at alternative options to move into a more settled home and to find out what the next steps could be. It was giving residents in temporary accommodation the information to make an informed decision about moving on.”

Staff were able to advise residents to join the housing register, if they hadn’t already, and note down repair issues requiring escalation and resolution.

Homefinder reported strong engagement, taking 50 applications for registration onto their scheme and distributing information about their services. Their team highlighted the value of face-to-face conversations in helping households understand the range of options available, including opportunities both within and beyond Slough. One household even expressed interest in relocating as far as Newcastle.

Bridge Housing Solutions team registered more than 20 applicants directly, with additional interest captured by colleagues.

Partners found the event beneficial, and the council will continue working closely with them to follow up with attendees and support households in progressing towards sustainable, long-term housing.

There are currently 1,349 households registered in temporary accommodation.

There are more people on the council’s housing register than there are available properties. The council is focusing on several options to increase our housing supply, including, but not limited to, bringing empty homes back into use, forming part of a plan to secure more homes in the borough.

A new national Renters Rights Act will be coming into force in May 2026, which will give renters more security. Assured short hold tenancies will be abolished, and new tenancies issued in the private rented sector will become periodic tenancies, where there is no end date. This will mean more stable and longer-term housing for renters.

The housing team plans to run more events in future, with a variety of different services present.

The temporary accommodation team have also begun outreach sessions at Britwell Hub on Tuesdays, from 10am to 2pm.

If you couldn’t attend, and have a query about your temporary accommodation, please email TemporaryAccommodation@slough.gov.uk