THOUSANDS of pounds is set to be ploughed into dealing with homeless families in Fareham.

The borough has agreed to stop putting homeless families in bed and breakfast accommodation by next March before it becomes against the law.

Officers have warned that unless drastic action is taken the council will miss the target and face being penalised by the government.

According to figures in a report to the council's executive committee if no action is taken there will be 26 families in bed and breakfast by March next year rising to 70 by March 2005.

The council now looks set to adopt a range of measures including employing a full-time housing welfare officer and setting up an emergency fund for families on the brink of eviction.

The new initiatives are set to cost the council about £146,000 over the next two years.

Executive member for housing Ernest Crouch said the measures were necessary in order to meet the target.

Councillor Crouch added: "We are confident we will meet the target, we do need to make this investment. Doing nothing is simply not an option

"We will be looking to employ extra officers, one of them will be an outreach officer who will go into the homes of families who are on the brink of becoming homeless and give advice and help on staying in their home rather than moving into bed and breakfast accommodation.

"We will also have 18 new units available to us on Broadlaw Walk by next March that will help ease the situation and we will be encouraging more housing in the private sector to become available.

"We are not talking about people on the streets here but families who for one reason or another are not able to stay in their current accommodation."

The report goes on to state that Fareham is lagging behind most other councils in Hampshire who are on course to meet the target by next year.

Cllr Crouch added: "Fareham has 85 per cent of residents who own their own homes and because of this the government do not believe that there is any deprivation in the borough.

"As a result we only got enough funding for about four social housing units which of course is far below what we need.

"It has been left to us as a local authority to find a solution to that."