This is a long-term problem that requires long-term thinking. But until that happens, councils are left with the unenviable question of how to pay their bills. Liverpool city council provides one example of a short-term solution. Its hotel accommodation bill had been projected to reach £28.4m in this financial year – an 11,000% increase since 2019. So the council embarked on proactive negotiations with landlords to move residents out of hotels and into their properties. Acting on behalf of some 1,600 households, it was able to take a hardline approach – requesting lower prices, and rejecting non-competitive offers. Liverpool reduced hotel use down to 277 rooms, from a high of more than 1,000, and cut nightly prices from an average of £83 to £57.