Portsmouth City Council spends £3.25m on two blocks of flats to avoid '24 families on the streets'

Councillor Darren Sanders said the acquisition of Viking Court, in Arundel Street, and Shoot Pool in Fratton Road would secure the future of the 24 affordable flats.

'The alternative is 24 families on the streets,' he said. 'Once the council takes over the place, we will wind up doing whatever is most effective for the people who live there.

'The most important thing is we take some form of control of this place, and make it a bit better.’

The purchase, which is expected to be completed in May, was agreed after the buildings’ private owner, who had rented them to housing provider Vivid, decided to sell them for conversion into retirement accommodation.

A report, published ahead of Cllr Sanders' Monday decision-making meeting, said that the amount of affordable housing in the city would fall.

It added that the two early-2000s buildings were 'relatively younger' than the council's current homes which are typically 40 to 50 years older.

The budget agreed by Cllr Sanders includes money to carry out a series of repairs and renovations to both blocks. It has been made up of a combination of Right to Buy income and borrowed money.

The council has confirmed it will be applying to Homes England for an affordable homes grant to help fund the purchase.