Dozens of homeless people in Powys have been provided with accommodation during the coronavirus lockdown.

Powys County Council has 86 households in temporary accommodation, 16 households in Bed and Breakfasts and 49 people in temporary accommodation.

At the Economy, Residents, Communities and Governance scrutiny committee on May 19, councillors were told that a group of experts made up of council staff, police, probation service and charities, had been meeting several times a week to address the issue.

The group is known as the “Homelessness Cell.”

Corporate director of economy and environment, Nigel Brinn, said: “We have a very subtle issue of homelessness in Powys.

“We don’t have many rough sleepers, in fact very few indeed, but we do have people on the margins of homelessness where we need to step in and help.”

Mr Brinn, added that the numbers of people that they had been able to help was “pretty impressive.”

He also explained that now places to live for people during lockdown period of had been found, meetings of the Homelessness Cell were due to reduce.

Committe chairman, Cllr Mathew Dorrance asked how the county council planned to move the people from temporary into permanent accommodations.

“What is the availability of stock going to be? said Cllr Dorrance.

Mr Brinn answered that finding the right type of homes to suit each case would be the challenge.

He said: “We may have a single person in a three bedroom property on a temporary basis, but we need to make sure the larger properties are there for familes who need them.”

“If there’s been anything good that’s come out of the virus, it has got us very focussed working with partners across the housing area.”

Cllr David Selby said: “This is a classic issue, the problem will not go away with the end of lockdown and this is an opportunity to improve the service.”

Mr Brinn told the committee that if they wanted to look at the issue in greater detail, he would ask the team specialists to attend a future meting.

“I think that would be really helpful,” said Cllr Dorrance.