BURNLEY Council's ruling executive has agreed to use a £135,800 government grant to house another homeless family and a household of Afghan refugees in the borough.

The two new homes to support those without a roof over their head will bring the total number of council-owned properties available for good quality temporary accommodation across the borough to 22.

This will further reduce the need for the council to use bed and breakfast accommodation which is often not suitable for families and cannot be used to house people for more than six weeks.

Last autumn, seven people were estimated to be sleeping rough in Burnley, up from four the year before.

Thursday night's meeting ratified chief executive Lukman Patel's acceptance of the £134,800 and agreed to use it to acquire two empty properties.

A report by the authority's private sector housing manager Clare Jackson said: "This will reduce the ongoing revenue cost of temporary accommodation as the council will no longer pay the annual lease cost to the property owners.

"It will ensure the properties are maintained to a good standard, well-managed for homeless families.

"It will increase the number of council-owned temporary accommodation properties by two taking the total to 22 including the six from the Rough Sleeping Accommodation grant.

"To meet the increasing demand for family accommodation the council has extended the leases on the properties from accredited landlords.

"This has been successful, and fewer families have been placed into bed and breakfast accommodation.

"On March 7, the council received an initial funding allocation of £134,800 capital funding and £1,000 revenue funding to deliver one home for temporary accommodation for general housing needs.

"The other home for temporary accommodation for a family that is part of the government's Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy for Afghan citizens who worked with the UK Government in Afghanistan and that are deemed eligible by the Ministry of Defence."

Burnley council leader Cllr Afraisiab Anwar welcomed the new grant saying: "It won't deal with all of the issues but it will help solve some of the problem."

The authority's finance boss Cllr Margaret Lishman said: "We need more money but any will help."