Tackling homelessness across Three Rivers will be "extremely challenging" due to high rent and a lack of social housing.

Fugures show 120 people were registered as homeless in 2013, which was up from 85 in 2012 and 69 in 2011.

Three Rivers District Council officials have drawn up a strategy which will shape its response to homelessness across the district.

But the strategy states the council and Thrive Homes, who control the authority’s social housing stock, may struggle to tackle the increasing level of homelessness across the district.

The report said: "It is clear from recent trends and by forecasting future events, that tackling homelessness over the next few years will be extremely challenging due to a range of affordability issues. 

"Against a consistent backdrop of high property prices and private rent levels, additional obstacles to affordability are being presented."

Figures also show about 1,000 people are on the housing register waiting list for social housing.

Councillor Martin Trevett said: "The problem with the area, is that it is a high priced area, the whole of Chorleywood, Rickmansworth and Croxley Green are highly priced, because it is such a beautiful place to live, but rents are high.

"There is a lack of social housing. Part of the problem we have is a shortage of land. Three Rivers is 75 per cent Green Belt so there is a limited space to encourage building of social houses."

Councillor Trevett also pointed to the authority’s Local Plan, which states that 45 per cent of all new housing should be below market value, making it affordable housing.

The council also revealed it is to spend more than £70,000 on bed and breakfast accomodation for homeless people in the next year.

The strategy said: "Having kept the use of bed and breakfast accommodation to a very small scale for several years, there is now the need to regularly rely upon it. 

"Apart from the cost - gross expenditure of £52,000 in 13/14, projected to rise to over £70,000 in 14/15 - it is patently unsuitable for families. 

"Our overriding objective, therefore, is to be in the position where other alternatives are always available."

To curb the growing reliance on B&Bs, the council will review their agreement with Thrive and is considering buying up to 25 homes.

Figures show that 2,589 extra homes have been built between 2001 and 2014 and the council claims 258 affordable homes have been delivered since 2008.  Around 4,000 of the 37,000 homes in the district are classed as "social homes."

The report examined the potential effects of the benefit cap and universal credit introduced by the Coalition Government.

Council officials are estimating that more than 50 tenants will lose benefits, with "some suffering a considerable reduction" in income.

It said: "Although the council and social landlords have been working to prepare tenants for all these changes, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that landlords will experience additional rent arrears. In turn, this will eventually lead to an increase in evictions.