B&NES Homelessness Strategy 2008-2013

Homelessness Strategy

2008-2013

B&NES Homelessness Strategy 2008-2013

CONTENTS / Page
Chapter 1
Why is a homelessness strategy needed?
Introduction…………………………………………………… / 1
Scope of the strategy……………………………………….. / 1
Map: B&NES and surrounding areas……………………… / 2
Review of the Homelessness Strategy 2003-2008……… / 2
Chapter 2
Creating a new homelessness strategy
The Homelessness Partnership……………………………. / 3
Consultation………………………………………………….. / 3
Co-ordination with national strategies and programmes... / 3
Co-ordination with local strategies and programmes …… / 4
Chart: Local Strategic Partnership structure……………… / 5
Performance monitoring…………………………………….. / 6
Chapter 3
The Homelessness Review 2008
Current homelessness………………………………………
Preventing homelessness…………………………………..
Chart: Main reasons for loss of settled accommodation… Services which support homeless people…………………
Private sector housing……………………………………….
Temporary housing…………………………………………..
Permanent social housing………………………………….. / 7
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Resources – funding………………………………………… / 10
Chapter 4
Priorities …………………………………………………….. / 12
Appendix 1Review of Delivery Plan 2003-08……………. / 14

B&NES Homelessness Strategy 2008-2013

Chapter 1

Why is a homelessness strategy needed?

1.1 INTRODUCTION

1.1.1 Local authorities and other agencies helping homeless people do more than simply provide accommodation after people have become homeless. In many cases, early action can prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place. Even if people are rehoused, they may become homeless again if they are not helped to sustain their home. The local housing authority must take a long term and strategic approach to making use of all available resources and joining up services to prevent people from becoming homeless and enabling more homeless people to be sustainably housed.

1.1.2 For many people the causes of homelessness are complex, and for these people, homelessness is not just a housing problem. Some homeless people have other difficulties and support needs, such as physical and mental health problems, substance abuse, unemployment, histories of offending and chaotic lifestyles. Theseneeds can be worsened by homelessness and difficulties in accessing services. For these reasons service users and many community services in addition to housing providers, have been involved in developing this strategy.

1.1.3 It is a statutory requirement that local authorities produce and publish a homelessness strategy which will inform policy and service commissioning. This homelessness strategyis based on information gathered in theBath and North East Somerset Homelessness Review which identified the services needed to prevent homelessness occurring or recurring and the local priorities for tackling homelessness. The main findings of the Homelessness Review are summarised in Chapter 3, the priorities are set out in Chapter 4.

1.2 SCOPE OF THE STRATEGY

1.2.1 The strategy includes actions to be taken both by the local authority adult care, housing and health service and by other agencies. The strategy considers the extent to which joint work by agencies might achieve the objectives set out in the strategy.

1.2.2The strategy covers all the services and housing needs for the B&NESarea. The area is classified as 90% rural and its main population centres are around the city of Bath and the towns of Keynsham, Midsomer Norton and Radstock.

Map of Bath and North East Somerset and surrounding areas:

1.2.3. The strategy covers all people who are homeless or who think they are or may be homeless for example:

People who the authority has a duty to secure accommodation, referred throughout as statutory homeless with priority need.
People who the authority has a duty to help with advice, referred throughout as statutory homeless without priority need.
other homeless people who may not be known to the local authority because they have not registered as having a housing need or applied as homeless;
all people at risk of becoming homeless;
homeless people in the area who might not have a localconnection.

1.3 REVIEW OF THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY 2003-2008

1.3.1 The progress review shown in appendix 1 summarises which key targets have been achieved or are ongoing and identifies three areas of work which are included in the new delivery plan:

Act to prevent or delay homelessness due to the repossession of people’s homes by landlords/mortgage companies
Ensuring that access to advice and assistance reflects our communities
Establish a multi-agency panel that meets to identify solutions for homeless people with complex problems

Chapter 2

Creating a new homelessness strategy

2.1 THE HOMELESSNESS PARTNERSHIP

2.1.1 The process of strategy development has aimed to strengthen corporate, multi agency and generally wider commitment to tackling homelessness. Services to homeless people are provided by a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies who were involved in the formulation of this strategy. The development of the strategy was lead by the B&NES Homelessness Partnershipwhich includes the main voluntary agencies, Registered Social Landlords, Drug Action Teams, Housing Advice agencies, the local authority and other local community and faith groups.

2.1.2 The Homelessness Partnership’s core group meets bi-monthly to monitor the delivery plan and performance on individual projects. The group will identify which agencies will do what and when; mechanisms for joint and partnership work; mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of the strategy and individual elements in the programme, including targets and performance indicators;mechanisms for regular review and amendment of the strategy in the light of the monitoring and evaluation.

2.2 CONSULTATION

2.2.1 The Homelessness Partnership’s Core group invited contributions from a wide range of organisations to inform the Homelessness Review 2008. A workshop style event was organised for all stakeholders including service providers and users to participate in developing the strategy and deciding the priorities for tackling homelessness for the next 5 years.

2.2.2 Other agencies which were involved in developing this strategy, either directly or through consultation, include the main statutory agencies such as supporting people services, health services, children and young peoples’ services and social services as well as the police, probation serviceand Youth Offending Teams.

2.2.3 Consultation with service users has been used to inform the Council’s commissioning of services included in this strategy. In 2006 the Council commissioned research which asked homeless people what their priorities would be for Supporting People funded services. In 2008 the Council commissioned research which asked homeless people what services they would want from a new hostel and day centre that is being proposed through the Places of Change programme.

2.3 CO-ORDINATION WITH NATIONAL STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMMES

2.3.1 The national strategy, for tackling homelessness was set out in 2005 with the government’s briefing ‘Sustainable Communities: settled homes; changing lives’ which aimed to prevent homelessness and halve the number of households in temporary accommodation by 2010.

2.3.2 In 2006 The Government set out its plans for preventing social exclusion and earlier identification of the causes and people at risk in ‘Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion’ and a significant role has been identified for social housing organisations in tackling the worklessness agenda which was set out in the Governments’ ‘Transforming Places: changing lives’ briefing which is due to be finalised in early 2009 and this role is reflected in the priorities for the strategy.

2.3.3 The Government’s plans to prevent social exclusion and tackle worklessness must be reflected in initiatives that create opportunities for homeless people to gain skills, experience, confidence, and ultimately employment. The Homelessness Partnership will bring together homelessness agencies, housing providers, training providers, employment support agencies and employers themselves to enable people to live more independently. Sheltered and supported employment will be required if all homeless people are to have the opportunity to work and move towards independence and social enterprises will be encouraged and supported to meet this need.

2.3.4Through the “Places of Change” programme the Department of Communities & Local Government (DCLG) has allocated, in principle, £2.5 million of capital grant to provide new, fit-for-purpose direct access hostel facilities for street homeless people in Bath & North East Somerset. The project aims to increase the number of homeless people, mainly rough sleepers, who move on positively into stable accommodation, education and employment.

The project supports the aims of the national Rough Sleeper strategy ‘No one left out’ which aims to eliminate rough sleeping by 2012, and is being taken forward through a partnership between Julian House, the Council and a local Housing Association. However, this is proving a very challenging projectto deliver due to a number of factors including limited site availability andexpensive site and construction costs associated with such a development in Bath.

2.4 CO-ORDINATION WITH LOCAL STRATEGIES AND PROGRAMMES

2.4.1Locally the local authority has many other strategies and programmes for example Supporting People’s Independent Living Delivery Plan 2008-2011, the Housing Strategy for Older People 2008-2013 and the Housing Strategy 2005-2010, which overlap and have features in common with this Homelessness Strategy. The priorities of the Homelessness Strategy will be integral to other strategies which all contribute to the overarching strategy for Bath and North East Somerset called the Sustainable Community Strategy.

2.4.2Health and Wellbeing is a key theme within the Sustainable Community strategy and through a partnership of individuals, groups and organisations it provides and develops adult health, social care and housing services. It has 9 strategic goals towards which this Homelessness Strategy directly contributes:

improve health and well being

develop independence and choice

improve access to services

improve quality and safety

improve effectiveness and value for money

enable people to be better informed

reduce inequalities and social exclusion

improve services to vulnerable people

2.4.3 The Sustainable Community strategy’s commitment to health and wellbeing includes that of homeless people and the Homelessness Partnership will work closely with partners in the health sector to ensure strategies and services fully accommodate the needs of homeless people. The life expectancy of homeless people remains low and it is critical we engage partners to effectively respond to issues around drugs and alcohol, mental health and physical health, especially conditions related to rough sleeping. A cohesive health strategy is required that promotes healthy lifestyles and primary care while ensuring emergency services have procedures that are appropriate to the circumstances of homeless people.

2.4.4The Sustainable Community Strategy is about maintaining and improving the things that make our communities better places to live in, it is set by the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) where statutory, community, voluntary and business partners come together to determine the vision for the area. The structure of the LSP outlined in Chart 1 enables links to be made between other strategies and programmes which jointly aim to benefit service users, share resources and enable more effective commissioning.

Chart 1: Local Strategic Partnership structure

2.4.5Most importantly, along with partners, the Council is expected to have a thorough knowledge of local needs and of the priorities of local people, to inform its planning around local people, community and place and it does this through a Local Area Agreement (LAA).For more information visit

2.5 PERFORMANCE MONITORING

2.5.1From April 2008, a new performance management framework called Comprehensive Area Assessment has applied to the Council, the Police and the Primary Care Trust. The Comprehensive Area Assessment is intended to look much more at future outcomes for the community, regardless of who is providing the service. A Local Area Agreement (LAA) is negotiated with Government which includes targets for a range of indicators to measure progress, much of which is cross cutting over several service areas, against these joint local and national priorities. This strategy is designed to support the achievement of related targets and obtaining performance reward grant.

2.5.2 The Council’s Housing Service is responsible for achieving designated targets selected from the National Indicator set. Two of these targets have a direct impact on homelessness and are supported by this strategy:

Number of affordable homes delivered

Number of households living in Temporary Accommodation

2.5.3 The Council’s Housing Services is also responsible for achieving the following five stretch targets which attract performance reward grant depending upon how much of the ’stretch’ in performance is achieved. These targets are supported by this strategy:

Number of ex-offenders in receipt of housing related support services funded by Supporting People

Number of households who have held a tenancy, facilitated by the Homefinders Scheme for 6 months or more

Number of places available as supported lodgings placements for care leavers and homeless young people.

Number of young people who have moved from a supported lodgings placement and successfully held either a private or social sector tenancy for greater than 6 months during the life of the LAA

Number of people with learning difficulties known to social services who have their own private or social sector tenancies for greater than 6 months

2.5.4Many of the agencies contributing to the Homelessness Review provided performance monitoring data to inform a broad picture of homelessness need and service delivery.

2.5.5 Services that are commissioned by the Council’s Supporting People are required to provide performance information to the council but client records may overlap between the different agencies and with the Council’s Housing Options and Advice Service.

Chapter 3

The Homelessness Review

The Homelessness Review was carried out in 2008 in partnership with public, voluntary and private agencies and is available as a separate document to support this strategy. This chapter summarises some of the main findings of the review.

3.1.1 CURRENT HOMELESSNESS

3.1.2 The provision of data for the review of current homelessness is primarily supplied through the local authority’s P1E information which covers those who apply to the local authority for homelessness assistance and commissioned services’ information about rough sleepers. Information about numbers of homeless people or people at risk of becoming homeless who don’t contact these agencies is not known.

3.1.3 Since 2003 the number of people making homeless applications to the local authority has halved (2003/04 total number of applications 446 - 2007/08 total number of applications: 210). This is likely to be due to the impact of initiatives which prevent homelessness and wider awareness of diminishing access to social housing. However the number of applicants to whom the local authority has statutory housing duties has recently increased (2006/2007 total number of acceptances: 115 - 2007/08 total number of acceptances: 132) a trend shared with other local authorities. 50% of homelessness acceptances are aged under 25 (2007/2008 number of accepted applicants aged under 25: 65).

3.1.4 Black and minority ethnic groups (BME) represent 2.8% of the area population but over the last five years account for 4.1% of all those to whom the local authority has statutory housing duties (2007/08 BME homelessness acceptances: 4). In 2007/08 BME groups accounted for 3.2% of those accessing the night shelter (10 out of total of 315 people, ). We need to ensure that our services are accessible to and meet the needs of this group. Other minority groups (lesbian, gay transgender) are not counted.

3.1.5 Rough sleepers who use the night shelter and outreach services tend to live transient lifestyles, moving between local authority areas. In a snapshot survey 57% originated from out of area (Q1 2008 total number of out of area clients: 35). This is a nationally recognised issue and we need to work together to ensure that rough sleepers are supported to safely return to areas in which they want to live through reciprocal Reconnections Policies.

3.2.1 PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS

3.2.2 Local advice services are currently provided by the Council’s Housing Services, the Citizens Advice Bureau, the South Wansdyke Advice Network and many other agencies providing services for particular groups such as young people or rough sleepers.

3.2.3 In B&NES, from information about the people who contact the Council (Chart 2.1) we know that the 3 main reasons for becoming homeless are

having to leave a home shared with family or other relatives
leaving a private sector tenancy
being at risk of violence or harassment or being a rough sleeper.

Advice tends to be sought when people are already in crisis indicating a need to extend our proactive outreach/preventative approach and target people most likely to become homeless.

3.2.4 Most advice seekers have multiple housing related problems the preventative service that is needed by all those at risk of homelessness is an accessible and impartial advice service that will identify the best options for each individual.

3.2.5 Demand for the services is high and performance management of housing advice services must be carefully managed to maximise positive outcomes for the people most at need in our communities.

Chart 2: Main reasons for loss of settled accommodation 2003-2008

Source: local authority P1E

3.3.1 SERVICES WHICH SUPPORT HOMELESS PEOPLE

3.3.2 A review of services provided by statutory, charitable and voluntary agencies shows that there is a wealth of diverse skills and expertise available. We need to tap into this to enhance homelessness prevention work and benefit service users. For example employment and training needs could be integrated into all areas of support and service users provided with opportunities to work with agencies within the Homelessness Partnership and their wider networks. Links could be made with other theme groups for example finding mentors in owner occupied/social rented sector, developing work opportunities with local businesses.