Developing a Homelessness
Strategy
Report to
Lead Member for Housing Services
Environmental Scrutiny Committee
Cabinet
Local Strategic Partnership
Deputy Director of Housing Services
Strategic Approaches to
Homelessness – 10 Key Areas
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Legislative and Policy Context
The Homelessness Strategy
Preventing Homelessness
Housing Advice
Temporary Accommodation
Rehousing & Resettlement
RSLs and Homelessness
Multi-Agency Working
Performance and continuous improvement
Implications for Salford
Legislative & Policy Context
 A change in approach
 Planning NOT Reacting
Legislative & Policy Context
 Specifically:
– Require authorities to assess/review homelessness in
their areas and use this information to develop
homelessness strategies
– Reduce Rough Sleeping
– Reduce the use of bed and breakfast accommodation
and promote more appropriate forms of temporary
accommodation
– Enable access to services for groups that have been
identified as particularly vulnerable such as 16 and 17
year olds, ex-offenders, people leaving institutions and
people who have experienced domestic or other forms
of violence
Homelessness Act 2002
 Local Authorities to carry out and prepare
homelessness strategies based on the reviews and
revise the the strategy once every 5 years
 Provide greater level of advice and assistance not
owed housing duty
 Repeal of the two-year by an indefinite duty
 Power to secure accommodation for non-priority
applicants
 Joint working with Social Services
 Changes in reviews and appeals
 Primary legislation in force – July 2002
Policy Context
 “More than a roof”
 Homelessness(Priority Need Order for
Accommodation Order 2002)
 Revised Code of Guidance on Homelessness
 Code of Guidance on the Allocation of
Accommodation
 Reduction of use of bed and breakfast
 Health Care of young babies and children in
temporary accommodation
 Coming in from the cold – the Government’s
strategy on Rough Sleeping
Developing Homelessness
Strategies
 The Role of Consultation
– With every organisation or person who might
be able to contribute to the objectives of the
Homelessness Strategy including :
• Social Services, Probation Services, Health Services
• Current and ex-service users
• Stakeholders such us local RSLs, private landlords
and voluntary services organisations
• Staff
• Other residents
Developing Homelessness
Strategies
 The Role of Consultation
– Consultation may be about :
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The customer care element of the service
The needs of particular priority groups
Specialist service areas like tenancy sustainment
Prevention strategies
Access to temporary or permanent accommodation
The role of private landlords and/or RSLs
Equality issues
Developing Homelessness
Strategies
 Review of Resources
– Lettings of social housing stock to homeless people,
including access to RSL lettings via nomination agreements
– Plans for provision of new social housing, including
specialist and/or support accommodation
– Accommodation and support provision, drawing on
Supporting People supply mapping
– Access to temporary accommodation
– Access to the Private Rented Sector
– Local Authority Budgets – housing, social services, health,
education & employment
– Policies and procedures
– Voluntary Agency Services and their funding
Developing Homelessness
Strategies
 Key Stages
– Mapping of Needs
– Audit of Services
– Assessment of existing resources
– Identification of gaps and blockages in services and
priorities for action
– Developing an action plan with identification of lead
agencies and resources and timescales
– Agreeing mechanisms and timescales for reviewing the
strategy
– Ongoing consultation
Developing Homelessness
Strategies
 Assessing Future Levels
 Matching Supply and Demand
 Race Equality
 Following Good Practice
Assessment of the Quality of the
Strategy
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Corporate Responsibility
Effective Partnership Working
Fit with other Local Authority Strategies
Fit with legislation, guidance, national priorities
and strategies
 The inclusion of clear aims and objectives and an
action plan
 Specific Actions to address the needs of
vulnerable groups
 Priorities and action on housing policy,
prevention, effective response to homelessness
and resolving homelessness
Preventing Homelessness
 Prevention
– Basic Housing Information in the Secondary School
Curriculum
– Identifying Risk Factors
– Sensitising Core Housing Management Tasks to the
prevention of Homelessness
– Health Services Support
– Probation and Prison Services
– Information and advice
– Mediation and Conciliation
– Use of the Private Rented Sector
Housing Advice
 Develop a Housing Advice Strategy
 Carry out an Audit of Housing Advice
 Develop Community Legal Services
 Establish the SCOPE of Housing Advice
– Information
– Advice on Accessing Accommodation
– Advice on Retaining Accommodation
Temporary Accommodation
 Reduce to a minimum/reduce demand for
unsuitable
 Increase demand for suitable
 Use Supporting People
 Map suitable Temporary Accommodation
 Develop a Strategy
 Reduce use of Bed and Breakfast
Rehousing and Resettlement
 Maximise choice for Homeless People
 Use the Private Rented Sector
 Development of Resettlement Support
 Regular contact with Prisons and YOI
 Furnished/Supported Accommodation
 Protocol for Social/Private Landlords
Housing Associations and
Homelessness
 Joint Work is Crucial
 Housing Corporations Regulatory Code
 Contracting out of certain services?
 RSL must co-operate in discharging duties
 Reasonable co-operation
Multi-Agency Working
 Important role in providing appropriate
services
 Clear statutory framework
 Supporting People as a stimulus
 Joint protocols with Social Services
 Multi Agency Forum
 Protocols
Performance and Continuous
Assessment
 Additional Resources = Clear expectation of
improved/more effective services
 Human Rights Act issues
 Collecting Information
 Keeping up to date
 Following the Code of Guidance (breach of
Statutory Duties)
 Developing Clear Service Standards
 Performance Management
 Continuous Learning
 Consulting Users
Implications for Salford
 Closer Working with Health, Social Services,
Probation, Education, Community Safety Unit
 Use of the network set-up to establish Supporting
People
 Service Level Agreements with all Social
Landlords(NPHL/RSLs) and Private Landlords
 Better Monitoring
 Revised Procedures
 Best Value Review in 2004
Implications for Salford
 2 Action Plans clearly mapping out
– Production of the Strategy
– Adoption of Best Practice and development of
Performance Assessment
Key Constraints
 Senior Officer on Adoption Leave until March
 Staff Structure still being brought in
 Office Accommodation unsuitable
 Homeless Families Unit unsuitable
 Other major changes at the same time as this – Supporting
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People, Housing Market Renewal, Regulatory Reform
Financial Resources Limited – “shoestring service”
Overprovision of Hostels – resistance to new Hostels
Asylum Seekers issues
Clash with Anti-Social Behaviour Policy
Key Opportunities
 Clever use of resources? – use Best Practice
Examples
 Many empty properties in the City– turn a
problem into a solution?
 Closer corporate working – develop “people first”
services – “Lift” Centres?
 Tie in with “Regeneration” agenda?
 Tie in with “Community Safety” agenda?
 Tie in with “Health” agenda?
 Tie in with “E-Government” agenda?
 Tie in with “Life Long Learning” agenda?
Conclusion
 Major Piece of Work covering several
services and many vulnerable customers
 Opportunity to change many services to be
people orientated rather than in the
traditional silos
 Many Opportunities to make things better
 Key Constraints are capacity and finance
 Statutory Duty
Recommendations
 Note the implications
 Agree a Strategy Development Plan
 Agree to support and participate