Draft Homelessness Strategy Appendix A

23/12/2018

Draft

Homelessness strategy

Introduction

Poole and its partners have set this homelessness strategy the ambitious aim of,

Enabling all people in Poole to keep their home or help them find another suitable home if they are homeless.

The strategy will seek to achieve the Government’s aims to,

• Keep the levels of rough sleeping as close to zero as possible
• To end the use of Bed and breakfast for homeless families, except in short term emergencies, by March 2004.

The strategy will be developed through 4 strategic objectives: -

1. Understanding homelessness in Poole
2. Preventing people losing their home – housing advice
3. Helping people keep their homes – support services
4. Providing more homes – increasing choice

Each objective of the strategy will be developed by assessing,

• Where we are now - in terms of the needs and services provided
• Where we want to be
• How we intend to get there

The strategic objectives will be delivered via a range of targets set over the period of the strategy. These targets are contained in the Homeless strategy action plan included as part of this document. Each proposal in the strategy will receive a project reference, which will be used in the action plan. The strategy and targets will be reviewed on an annual basis with its stakeholders. The strategy can be found on the Poole web site along with other related strategies at

Poole Borough Council undertook a fundamental service review of its allocations and homelessness services in 2001/2002. The review identified a number of improvements that are included within this strategy.

Over the last 2 years there has been a step change in the performance of Poole Borough Council in preventing homelessness and helping people find new homes. The number of households who were housed in temporary emergency non-self contained accommodation has plummeted. The Borough of Poole is now providing advice to neighbouring Boroughs in Dorset to help address their homelessness problems. However, there are still many challenges to be faced including speeding up the time taken to find households a permanent home in the social housing sector and ensuring effective advice and support continues to reduce homeless applications.

The strategic context of the Homeless strategy

The diagram on the next page shows the way in which the Homelessness strategy links with other key strategies and national policy objectives. The homeless strategy holds a pivotal position in the strategic map. The Homeless strategy plays a critical part in the Housing strategy of Poole. The Housing strategy has five strategic objectives and the homeless strategy directly supports three of them. There are other local strategies, which inform and mutually support in a dynamic way the homeless strategy. Clearly, the Homeless strategy will be driven by national policy objectives and will interpret those national objectives into a local perspective.

This strategy has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders. The following table sets out the ways in which consultation was undertaken.

Method of involvement

Poole - the housing situation

Poole Borough Council undertook a housing needs survey in June 2001. The survey estimated that there were 59,080 households living in Poole and of those 80.9% were owner-occupiers, 11.3% renting from the Council or a housing association and 7.8% renting their home privately.

Housing prices in Poole are high. The following table sets out what was found in the survey and the current updated prices.

The survey found that average earned income was £ 21,798 a year and if households with no earned income were excluded then the figure was

£ 23,448. There was considerable difference in income between tenure groups and lone parent households had incomes significantly below the Borough average. A recent survey of household income estimates the average household income in Poole now stands at £23,314[1] this would mean the average mortgage achievable would be £ 69,942, which is 19 % below the minimum purchase price for a one bedroom flat

In comparing housing prices to income and assessing the need for households to move to resolve their housing situation the survey identified a requirement for 1,148 units of affordable housing a year. When the supply of affordable housing is introduced to this figure a net requirement of 967 affordable housing units is estimated to be required each year. Of particular relevance to the homeless strategy is the newly arising need identified by the survey. The survey identified 569 additional households who would be in housing need each year, based on 759 newly forming households and 75% of that number being unable to afford private sector housing. In addition it was estimated that a further 197 households will fall into housing need in Poole each year. The balancing figure to the total housing need is 382 and this represents the estimated in-migration into Poole each year. The number of homeless or potentially homeless households in Poole each year will be drawn from the overall assessment of housing need in the survey.

Understanding homelessness in Poole

The existing sources of information have been used to understand the types of homelessness and the reasons for homelessness in Poole. A thorough understanding of the reasons will enable targeted strategic interventions to reduce the levels of homelessness.

Where we are now

Over the last year 455 households approached the Council as homeless. This was a 40% increase on the previous year. In addition housing advice was given to a further 2535 households who were threatened with homelessness. Although this represents the newly arising need in a year there are households who have been housed temporarily whilst a permanent home is found for them by the Council. In 2003/3 there was an average of 22 households a month in Bed and breakfast accommodation, 144 households in leased private sector properties and 38 households in hostels. This represents the backlog of unmet need, which has been identified.

The last year saw homeless approaches by households with the needs set out in the following graph.

The ethnic origin of the households who approached the Council as homeless over the last year is set out in the following table.

The percentage of Asian households approaching the Council as homeless is worthy of further investigation as the Asian population make up only x% of the overall population in Poole and therefore all things being equal ther are disproportionately found homeless.

The following graph shows the reasons for homelessness in 2002/3.

In 2002/3 there were 3.2 homeless applications per 1,000 of the population in Poole. This was a 39% increase from the previous year. The population projections[2]predict a 16% increase in the 16-25 year old population by 2006. The estimated 16/17 year old population in Poole in 2002 was 3,450 and it is predicted that it will increase to 3,715 by 2006 , an 8% increase. As the number of homeless applications from 16/17 year olds in 2002/3 was 27 and this represented 0.78% of the total population at that age the increase of 16/17 year old by 2006 may lead to an increase of 2 homeless applications from that age group. The largest increase in population between now and 2006 is found in the 70-90+ age bracket. Over the period 2003/3 to 2006 it is estimated that there will be a 15% increase in the population in that age range. Given that the homeless applications from people of that age in 2002/3 was only 4 the worst-case scenario is that by 2006 applications could have increased by one more application. In conclusion population changes in the locality are unlikely to have a major impact on homelessness.

Over the last year the number of households who approached the Council as homeless where they had already been homeless in the past and received help from the Council was 40. This is roughly 10% of all the homeless applications in the year. The reason for the second approach is shown in the table below together with the reason for the first approach. Only half of the second applications were found to be statutory homeless.

The table shows that parental evictions were the highest reason for a second homeless applications where the first had also been parental eviction. This was followed by Parental eviction as first reason for homelessness and termination of tenancy the second reason. Overall termination of tenancy was the greatest reason for a second homeless approach. Clearly there is a need to continue support to households in the private rented sector and work with landlords to maintain tenancies for as long as possible. Further research is required to identify the reasons for tenancy termination and how they can be addressed.

Poole accommodation and support services ( PASS) was established to provide support and access to housing for non-priority homeless households. Over the last twelve months they provided advice, support and access to housing for 529 households. Nearly half of those people considered themselves homeless and a further quarter were threatened with homelessness. The following graph provides the full breakdown.

A rough sleepers count will be undertaken in June using the ODPM guidance. It found x people rough sleeping.

A snapshot survey of housing need for those with special needs was undertaken in April 2002. The survey was undertaken via questionnaires sent to agencies dealing with the various client groups. The survey results were dependent upon who completed the forms and so cannot be regarded as a definitive. The following graph sets out the results of the survey

The greatest unmet need for housing with support services was for young people.

As part of the Supporting people strategy the Dorset probation service undertook research into the living arrangements for offenders in the Borough of Poole. The following graph shows the findings,

Where we want to be

• By March 2004 to have researched the reasons for homelessness for single people with supported housing needs ( Action plan ref 1a)

• By March 2005 to have established a comprehensive mapping of single homeless households across the conurbation.( action plan ref 1b)

• To establish an annual snapshot survey of single homelessness and rough sleeping in the conurbation.( action plan ref 1c)

• By March 2004 to have researched the reasons for young people becoming or being threatened with homelessness ( acton plan ref 1d)

• By June 2004 to have researched the reasons for the over representation of Asian households as homeless.( action plan ref 1e)

• By March 2004 to have undertaken detailed research with those households who have made a repeat homeless approach to determine where support services or advice fell short.( action plan ref 1f)

• By June 2004 to have researched the reasons for tenancy termination with landlords in Poole. ( action plan ref 1g)

How we intend to get there

In conjunction with the Supporting people team a research project into the level of single homelessness and reasons for it will be undertaken. At present there is no way of avoiding the double counting of households who are or may be threatened with homelessness. Over the next two years it will be our intention to set up a conurbation system to map single homelessness.

Asian households seem to be over represented in homeless approaches. The Council will undertake research to identify the reasons for this . The Council will work with the Dorset race Equality Council and local faith groups to gain an understanding of the homelessness issues facing the Asian community in Poole.

Repeat homeless applications can be seen as a test of the effectiveness of the support services and housing advice provided in Poole. Whenever a household makes a repeat homeless approach to the Council the reasons for the approach will be compared against the original decision. This will inform the development of support services and housing advice. At the moment the greatest reason for repeat homelessness is tenancy termination. It is intended to undertake research with landlords to determine why they require their properties back. This will be undertaken via the Dorset Residential landlords association in the first instance.

Preventing people losing their home – housing advice

Effective housing advice to prevent people losing their home or gain another one requires coordinated work across all the various agencies that touch people’s lives. This means the Council has to take the role of both a provider of advice, funding independent advice as well as coordinating the advice provided by other agencies. It is important that a strategic view of the advice required is established and that all the resources are used to complement each other.

Where we are now.

Following the fundamental service review of allocations and homelessness the Council set up a comprehensive housing advice monitoring system. The following graph sets out the type of advice provided by the Council over the last 12 months.

The ethnic origin of those seeking housing advice is shown in the table below,

The largest ethnic minority group seeking housing advice were Asian households who made up 23% of all the black and ethnic minority households seeking housing advice.

The Council’s advice service is operated from both the Civic centre and also the Quay advice centre (for young people) and Body Positive (for people with HIV and aids. An exit survey of housing advice customers[3] found that 96% of those surveyed thought the initial advice they received was very or fairly good.

The Council provides comprehensive advice covering,

• The housing register
• Tenancy rights
• Unlawful eviction and harassment
• Homelessness
• Family law
• Domestic violence
• Finding a home in the private rented sector

The Council used the funding from the Government’s homelessness directorate to publish good quality advice leaflets covering these areas. Following the fundamental service review of housing advice and homelessness a requirement to establish comprehensive procedures was identified.

The Council funds the Citizens advice Bureau in Poole who provide housing advice. The Poole Accommodation and support scheme (PASS) provide advice to non-priority homeless people. PASS is funded by the lottery Community fund as well as the Council. The Community fund support will come to an end in March 2004. The Council also funds a domestic violence outreach project to provide support and advice to those fleeing domestic violence.

When assessing peoples housing need and position on the housing register housing advisers, adult social services, children and families and the health service work together to undertake joint assessments. This may involve the use of case conferences. However, a recognised problem is where people are asked to leave hospital at short notice and become homeless due to their medical problems.

Parental eviction and relationship breakdown are two of the main causes of homelessness. In the case of parental eviction parents are asked to give 28 days notice of eviction so that advisers can help find alternative accommodation. All applicants threatened with this type of eviction are visited at home. Where there is no threat of violence or abuse and there is sufficient room the applicant would be helped to find another home but the Council would not find them homeless. As shown above parental eviction is the greatest reason for repeat homeless applications. Housing advisers are trained in family law and will offer advice to people where relationships breakdown.

A dedicated, regular housing advice service is provided for young people and care leavers. This is undertaken at the Quay advice centre and referrals can be made to the Connexions service where appropriate. A protocol exists between Social services children and families for 16-18 year olds, which includes joint assessment and guidelines for service responsibilities. This goes further to incorporate a procedure with the Care leavers team to facilitate the housing of care leavers in social housing via a target system of allocations.