Homeless Prevention- is it worth it?
“Do the austerity measures cause such pressure on Council budgets that homelessness prevention is no longer the buzz and we are moving back to ‘fire fighting’” otherwise titled
Homeless Prevention- is it worth it? Gary Harvey, Head of Housing Solutions, Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 876 1114 [email protected]
About this presentation • The introductory slides are national context and they contain some additional detail for Nottingham. • The following part of the presentation asks us to reflect on the true value of prevention in terms of resources used by service providers or LA’s and from the homeless citizen’s perspective.
Pressures 1 National Homelessness and Welfare / Housing Impacts • Rough sleeping rose by 23% between autumn 2010 and Autumn 2011 – higher rate of growth than 1990’s economic difficulties • By June 2012 Statutory Homelessness had risen by 34% compared to the low level of 2009 • B+B placements doubled over the last 2 years. March 2012 there were 1,660 • Hidden homelessness has risen, e.g. overcrowding in England in 2003 was 2.4% and now 2012 3.0% of households. 670,000 households are thought to be overcrowded in England. • Arrears related repossessions and evictions account for 6% of statutory homelessness.
Pressures 2 • 540,000 social tenants in England are thought to be affected by the “bedroom tax” with housing stock not able to supply the “shuffle down” to appropriate size options needed to avoid the restrictions • Shared accommodation rates applying to under 35’s on benefits may force people into inappropriate shared housing environments • There are an estimated 1.54 million concealed households involving single people in England in 2012 as well as 214,000 concealed couples and lone parents • Statutory homeless applications arising from termination of assured shorthold tenancies rose by 103% for the two years from 2011 to 2012 - in London this was 156%
Service Headline Pressures 6 month Trend/time
01/04/09 – 30/09/09
01/04/10 – 30/09/10
01/04/11 – 30/09/11
01/04/12 – 30/09/12
Approaches for service/ Footfall
7051
7121
9655
8243
New cases
1974
2207
2941
2521
Statutory ( HA 1996 Part VII) Applications
373
357
427
365
Part VII full Housing Duty Acceptances
291
300
328
282
Numbers in temporary accommodation on last day of quarter
65
91
94
81
Number of Detailed needs assessments undertaken
610
580
550
449
Number of homeless preventions/relief
2647
2346
2137
2144
Number of failed homeless preventions/relief
N/A*
N/A*
756
1187
Homelessness Prevention and Relief by type 01/04/09 – 30/09/09
01/04/12 – 30/09/12
7
0
Conciliation including home visits for family/friend threatened exclusions
106
57
Financial payments from a homeless prevention fund
117
64
Debt Advice
199
153
Resolving Housing Benefit problems
89
72
Resolving rent or service charge arrears in the social or private rented sector
43
71
Sanctuary scheme measures for domestic violence
17
11
Crisis intervention - providing emergency support
63
16
Negotiation or legal advocacy to ensure that someone can remain in accommodation in the private rented sector
262
124
Prevention type Mediation
Providing other assistance that will enable someone to remain in accommodation in the private or social rented
316
413
Mortgage arrears interventions or mortgage rescue
8
36
Any form of hostel or House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with or without support
731
434
Private rented sector accommodation with landlord incentive scheme (eg. cashless BOND, finder’s fee, deposit payment, rent in advance , landlord insurance payment)
155
217
Private rented sector accommodation without landlord incentive scheme
111
91
Accommodation arranged with friends or relatives
144
35
Supported accommodation (including supported lodging schemes, successful referrals to supported housing projects)
55
20
Social Housing - management move of existing LA tenant
22
21
Social Housing - Part 6 offer of LA own accommodation or nomination to an HA
202
297
Social Housing - negotiation with an HA outside Part 6 nomination agreement
0
12
2647
2144
Total
Time for a change ? • 2144 prevention cases in our 6 month snapshot • 308 of these household secured PRS tenancies most of which were families with children • DV up 4 1/2 times 2009 level • Loss of AST 2 ¾ times 2009 level • Currently estimated to be 190 households in supported accommodation for whom we may otherwise have a statutory duty
prevention culture = citizen first • • • • •
Prevention can make us see individuals It makes us look for and see their needs Prevention allows citizens a voice and a choice Prevention challenges us to intervene differently Prevention leads us away from a asking “do you qualify” • Prevention changes service culture if we let it
I conclude • It’s cheaper to deliver prevention • It’s best practice to deliver prevention • Colleagues are better motivated if they are empowered to help people • • • •
It will cost more in the end to Councils It will cost more to the public purse The needs of citizens will not be met and they will recycle In the end you will still do the work and spend the cash – but we’ll do the work twice and spend more. • What impact for service culture?
Homeless Prevention- is it worth it? Gary Harvey, Head of Housing Solutions, Nottingham City Council Tel 0115 876 1114 [email protected]
About this presentation • The introductory slides are national context and they contain some additional detail for Nottingham. • The following part of the presentation asks us to reflect on the true value of prevention in terms of resources used by service providers or LA’s and from the homeless citizen’s perspective.
Pressures 1 National Homelessness and Welfare / Housing Impacts • Rough sleeping rose by 23% between autumn 2010 and Autumn 2011 – higher rate of growth than 1990’s economic difficulties • By June 2012 Statutory Homelessness had risen by 34% compared to the low level of 2009 • B+B placements doubled over the last 2 years. March 2012 there were 1,660 • Hidden homelessness has risen, e.g. overcrowding in England in 2003 was 2.4% and now 2012 3.0% of households. 670,000 households are thought to be overcrowded in England. • Arrears related repossessions and evictions account for 6% of statutory homelessness.
Pressures 2 • 540,000 social tenants in England are thought to be affected by the “bedroom tax” with housing stock not able to supply the “shuffle down” to appropriate size options needed to avoid the restrictions • Shared accommodation rates applying to under 35’s on benefits may force people into inappropriate shared housing environments • There are an estimated 1.54 million concealed households involving single people in England in 2012 as well as 214,000 concealed couples and lone parents • Statutory homeless applications arising from termination of assured shorthold tenancies rose by 103% for the two years from 2011 to 2012 - in London this was 156%
Service Headline Pressures 6 month Trend/time
01/04/09 – 30/09/09
01/04/10 – 30/09/10
01/04/11 – 30/09/11
01/04/12 – 30/09/12
Approaches for service/ Footfall
7051
7121
9655
8243
New cases
1974
2207
2941
2521
Statutory ( HA 1996 Part VII) Applications
373
357
427
365
Part VII full Housing Duty Acceptances
291
300
328
282
Numbers in temporary accommodation on last day of quarter
65
91
94
81
Number of Detailed needs assessments undertaken
610
580
550
449
Number of homeless preventions/relief
2647
2346
2137
2144
Number of failed homeless preventions/relief
N/A*
N/A*
756
1187
Homelessness Prevention and Relief by type 01/04/09 – 30/09/09
01/04/12 – 30/09/12
7
0
Conciliation including home visits for family/friend threatened exclusions
106
57
Financial payments from a homeless prevention fund
117
64
Debt Advice
199
153
Resolving Housing Benefit problems
89
72
Resolving rent or service charge arrears in the social or private rented sector
43
71
Sanctuary scheme measures for domestic violence
17
11
Crisis intervention - providing emergency support
63
16
Negotiation or legal advocacy to ensure that someone can remain in accommodation in the private rented sector
262
124
Prevention type Mediation
Providing other assistance that will enable someone to remain in accommodation in the private or social rented
316
413
Mortgage arrears interventions or mortgage rescue
8
36
Any form of hostel or House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) with or without support
731
434
Private rented sector accommodation with landlord incentive scheme (eg. cashless BOND, finder’s fee, deposit payment, rent in advance , landlord insurance payment)
155
217
Private rented sector accommodation without landlord incentive scheme
111
91
Accommodation arranged with friends or relatives
144
35
Supported accommodation (including supported lodging schemes, successful referrals to supported housing projects)
55
20
Social Housing - management move of existing LA tenant
22
21
Social Housing - Part 6 offer of LA own accommodation or nomination to an HA
202
297
Social Housing - negotiation with an HA outside Part 6 nomination agreement
0
12
2647
2144
Total
Time for a change ? • 2144 prevention cases in our 6 month snapshot • 308 of these household secured PRS tenancies most of which were families with children • DV up 4 1/2 times 2009 level • Loss of AST 2 ¾ times 2009 level • Currently estimated to be 190 households in supported accommodation for whom we may otherwise have a statutory duty
prevention culture = citizen first • • • • •
Prevention can make us see individuals It makes us look for and see their needs Prevention allows citizens a voice and a choice Prevention challenges us to intervene differently Prevention leads us away from a asking “do you qualify” • Prevention changes service culture if we let it
I conclude • It’s cheaper to deliver prevention • It’s best practice to deliver prevention • Colleagues are better motivated if they are empowered to help people • • • •
It will cost more in the end to Councils It will cost more to the public purse The needs of citizens will not be met and they will recycle In the end you will still do the work and spend the cash – but we’ll do the work twice and spend more. • What impact for service culture?
