A letter signed by the leaders or acting leaders of Suffolk's district and borough councils has called on the county council not to cut vital support for residents at risk of homelessness.

The representatives of five authorities - East Suffolk Council, Babergh District Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Mid Suffolk Council and West Suffolk Council - are warning of the 'catastrophic effect on hundreds of Suffolk's most vulnerable residents'.

The county council is planning to axe housing related support as part of budget cuts; a temporary housing scheme for people in the care of Suffolk's social and children's services.

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This service provides more than 700 accommodation places, delivered through multiple specialist providers, including charities.

In the letter, the leaders said: “If people who previously qualified for housing related support are left without accommodation then rough sleeping will increase.

"We know that this will impact on these vulnerable people’s health, that they are more likely to begin or continue substance misuse, and to suffer from mental health issues.

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"The impact of this will increase demand on other county council services which are already stretched.

“We recognise that times are tough and that difficult decisions need to be made.

"But we believe that a decision to end housing related support is short-sighted and will haunt Suffolk County Council in years to come as the implications come to fruition.”

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The county council is proposing to remove £1 million from the housing related support budget during the financial year 2024/25, followed by a further £2 million in 2025/26.

The reduction equates to the loss of 350 accommodation spaces by September, while all accommodation will be removed by the end of March 2025.

Suffolk County Council was approached for comment.