A top councillor has claimed the number of people in temporary accommodation in Bexley is “frightening” as new strategies to combat homelessness are brought forward.

A cross-party review into homelessness put forward options for the council to consider, hoping to crack down on one of the borough’s biggest problems.

Expensive temporary accommodation is costing the council big, with an overspend predicted of £2.4m this year for housing.

Councillors have now recommended the council explore giving higher priority to armed forces on the waiting list, as well as changing the overcrowding standard and introducing an income threshold.

One proposal that caused some concern was a plan to stop accepting people onto the housing register in band four – the least likely to ever be homed – if they are working, volunteering or in training.

Councillors still want residents providing a “community contribution” be allowed onto the register – but cabinet member Alex Sawyer said this was raising people’s hopes unnecessarily.

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He said he was minded to not accept any more as the council is barely rehoming five people a year from that part of the list – despite more than 2,000 people being on it.

“The reality is they will be highly unlikely they are ever rehome,” cllr Alex Sawyer said. “Is it not best to be honest with them?

“If you are categorised as band four the realistic chance is quite slim I am keen we don’t give false hope. When it comes to retaining the community contribution I am minded to change that and cease putting people in band four on the community contribution.”

No decision has been agreed yet, and opposition councillor Mabel Ogundayo called for a rethink on the cabinet member’s opinion.

She said: “We should allow them to remain – I am disappointed the cabinet member doesn’t agree.

“Anyone who goes on the list we should be clear with that they’ll be there for a long time. Stopping them from going on the list doesn’t solve the problem, it may just make our numbers better.”

At the same meeting cllr Sawyer said the council was in the middle of a “perfect storm” when it comes to homelessness.

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He said: “I am confident we are doing all we can but the situation isn’t easy for anybody. We don’t have all the answers and we don’t even know all the questions.

“The figures for temporary accommodation highlight the biggest problem – the scale of which is frightening.

“We are doing what we can but we are caught in a perfect storm. We need to be focused on individuals behind the figures. We are working on a housing strategy and I would urge active interest in that. We have to get it right for future generations.”

Proposed changes will be consulted on before any future decisions are made.