More than £34,000 has been spent putting homeless people up in hotels by councils in central Lancashire.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to accommodate the homeless, and in the last year Preston Council has spent £7,100, South Ribble spent £19,336, and Chorley spent £8,000 on hotels because shelters were unavailable or unsuitable.
Currently, Scott Bagguley, 32, is the only person Chorley Council is paying to house.
He has been living in a series of rooms at the Chorley North Premier Inn since September, and said he is “ashamed” at the money being spent.
The father-of-five said he has been told that his conviction for criminal damage and his mental health problems have made it difficult to find accommodation.
He said: “This has cost the tax payer over £8,000 so far and I think that’s scandalous. I’m embarrassed to be honest.
“I just want this sorting out and to be able to get on with my life, because this is very frustrating.
“I’m stuck in one small room without any cooking facilities.”
Chorley Council can reclaim about £3,000 in Housing Benefit.
Councillor Adrian Lowe said the “very rare” situation was due to “extenuating circumstances”.
He said: “It is unfortunate that Mr Bagguley has been there for so long and I very much sympathise with his situation.
“As the council doesn’t own any housing stock, we will continue to work closely with our partners to find him suitable accommodation as soon as possible.”
South Ribble Borough Council is currently paying for two families in hotels.
Councillor Cliff Hughes said the council works pro-actively with local housing providers to find accommodation for people at risk of homelessness, but hotels are used when there are no vacancies.
Preston City Council’s longest placement in the past year was for four months at a cost of £7,100.
It is not paying for any hotel accommodation currently.
Councillor Tom Burns said: “In certain circumstances, and where other avenues have been exhausted, these placements are made in low cost hotel accommodation within Preston.”
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