Stafford Borough Council is set to spend more than £650,000 on buying homes to provide temporary accommodation – but Reform UK councillors in neighbouring Cannock Chase District have delayed a similar decision after requesting more information in connection with a national scheme providing resettlement for Afghan families.

Both authorities have been awarded grants from the Government's Local Authority Housing Fund, with Stafford Borough Council receiving £351,300 and Cannock Chase District Council allocated £325,200.

The funds are intended to contribute to the purchase of three homes in each area, with two to provide temporary accommodation for residents facing homelessness and the third earmarked for a family under the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP).

Members of Stafford Borough Council's cabinet agreed at their meeting on Thursday (17 September) to spend their authority's allocation, and provide additional funding of £323,700, towards buying three homes in the borough.

A report to Thursday's cabinet meeting said: "ARP offers a safe and legal route to relocation for individuals who supported UK efforts or are vulnerable, granting them indefinite leave to remain with full access to public funds. Families will be settled into the accommodation and, should they come to move on, the property will revert to temporary accommodation for our homeless duties."

But members of Cannock Chase District Council delayed their decision to spend their LAHF allocation – and allocate an additional £379,800 towards the purchase of three new homes – at their meeting last month so that a full review could be carried out.

The item returned to Tuesday's cabinet meeting (15 September), but was deferred again.

Cllr Mandy Bell, cabinet member for resources and corporate services, told Tuesday's meeting that Cannock Chase District Council applied for funding under the Labour administration, before it was succeeded by the current Reform UK administration in May.

The Afghan Resettlement Programme and the other schemes it brought together to provide a safe and legal route for Afghan citizens who had worked with or for the UK Government in "exposed or meaningful roles" had closed to new applicants or were discontinued last year.

Cllr Bell also highlighted a recent claim made about the percentage of asylum claims that were genuine.

She said: "I recommend deferring this decision until we have further information on the Home Office validity process – our priority is the protection and safety of Cannock Chase residents.

"We have more than 30 council properties with void status.

"We have to consider if the £380,000 could be better spent on making good our own properties."

While Cannock Chase District Council has retained its housing stock, Stafford Borough Council transferred properties to an external social housing provider more than 20 years ago.

It currently leases 15 units of temporary accommodation from Homes Plus, a report to Thursday's cabinet meeting said.

The report added: "There are 12 two-bedroom and three one-bedroom properties.

"Leased units are prioritised for families with children with the average stay between 10-16 weeks, depending on the size of the family and any support needs of the household.

"Where leased units are not available, the council is reliant upon bed and breakfast accommodation which is getting more difficult to source due to competing demands and low tolerance levels for households with support needs.

"Commercial hotel chains often have quota limits on the number of local authority placements they will accept at any given time and we are reliant on local relationships to continue such placements.

"The focus for Housing Options is always to prevent households from needing temporary accommodation. However, wider pressures on public services means households are presenting at crisis point, in need of temporary accommodation; since January 2026 we've had on average 20 households placed in bed and breakfast accommodation at the end of each month which demonstrates a requirement for additional temporary accommodation units.

"A previous review of temporary accommodation outlined that the most cost-efficient model to expand temporary accommodation would be for the council to own and manage their own stock.

(This year) renovation works will begin to convert office accommodation to six single units of temporary accommodation that are owned and managed by Stafford Borough Council (and) we expect the units to be completed by March 2027,

"In addition, the council has recently purchased a two bedroom house to be available as temporary accommodation for Autumn 2026.

"Whilst this has been a positive step forward to start the supply of council-owned temporary accommodation, there is an ambition to increase the number of properties owned to meet demand from Housing Options."