TEMPORARY shelter for homeless families has been delivered and installed in Caversham.

The £1.86m development on Lowfield Road will provide emergency accommodation from January after the project was delayed.

A total of 57 homes will be provided to families who would have been forced to live in bed and breakfasts.

Councillor John Ennis, lead member for Housing, said: “I am really pleased to see the units arriving in Lowfield Road and look forward to welcoming families to the site early next year.

“This development will reduce the number of families requiring emergency accommodation being placed in bed and breakfasts and provide them with a comfortable and well-equipped temporary home.

“Not only will this be much better for the families involved, it will also save the Council money in the long run.”

The development, which is being overseen by Morris and Blunt Ltd, will consist of seven blocks of four units, with a children's play area, car park and bike sheds.

It is one of many Reading Borough Council's projects to tackle the housing crisis in Reading.

Other schemes include the construction of 57 permanent council homes in Conwy Close, Tilehurst, the creation of a wholly-owned housing company called Homes for Reading and close working with private landlords through initiatives such as the Rent Guarantee Scheme.

In July, the council also agreed a £20m house building programme which will deliver up to 100 new affordable homes.

Councillors had initially intended to open the facility during the autumn of 2017, but delays have forced the project back to the New Year.