REDDITCH is one of the worst spots in the West Midlands for homeless people housed in temporary accommodation.

Covid has ‘turbo charged’ homelessness, say the Shelter charity, with more than 16,000 people trapped in temporary accommodation in the West Midlands.

But they say the figure is an underestimate, with many others rough sleeping or ‘sofa surfing.’

Figures compiled by the charity break down the top ten areas in the West Midlands for people housed in temporary accommodation.

Redditch comes in at number 10 with 75, which equates to one in 1,137 of the population.

Worst place is Birmingham with 12,121 - one in every 94. Coventry (1,301) and Solihull (406) come second and third

Shelter’s ‘Homeless and Forgotten’ report says that across the West Midlands 1,460 households (28%) are currently placed into emergency B&Bs and hostels, where poor conditions and gross overcrowding are rife.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, spoke of many people spending Christmas in ‘grim, dangerous places, cut off from loved ones and faced with a daily struggle to eat or keep clean.’

To donate to Shelter’s urgent winter appeal visit www.shelter.org.uk/donate.