PEOPLE who are homeless - or at risk of homelessness - are being sent into the city to be housed.

In March, Worcester City Council received two referrals from local authorities, in Bromsgrove and Redditch, asking them to house their applicants.

The city council received another referral in November but of these three applications only one applicant has been accepted and housed.

The majority of the referrals that are accepted involve a person who has been threatened with violence.

A city council spokesman said that some homeless people have moved into the city without going through the formal process, known as a section 213 referral.

Adrian Gregson, the leader of Worcester City Council, said he is aware of the referrals and supports them.

He said: “Most district councils have a policy aimed at dealing with people who are residents facing homelessness.

“I don’t want to go back to the 18th century when we had boundaries and massive walls around our city.

“The basic problem with all this is there’s simply not enough houses in the first place.”

He added that councils try to accommodate for issues people encounter, such as family problems, which mean they want to move out of a district.

Cllr Gregson said it is also important that there are provisions for homeless people who live in Worcester.

The councillor added that he often takes calls from people who want advice and assistance in relation to moving out of Worcester.

A city council spokesman said: “Sometimes a household will approach an authority as homeless, be accepted, but for various reasons the household wishes to be rehoused in another district.

“In this instance, the original local authority can ask for assistance with discharging its homeless duties under section 213 of the housing act, by making a request to another local authority.

“The local authority they approach will consider the referral and determine if they are able to assist.”

An applicant must meet a certain criteria to be successfully referred under section 213 of the Housing Act 1996.

The council considers an applicant’s eligibility for public funding, their homeless status, and whether they are ‘intentionally homeless’.

Housing staff also weigh up if the applicant is a ‘priority need’ and whether they have a local connection to Worcester.