PSA Delivery Agreement 16

The PSA Delivery Agreement 16 aims to increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accomodation and employment, education and training.

This agreement does not include homeless people as a specific group but does focus on other groups at risk of homelessness obtaining settled accomodation.

We are working to ensure that homeless people are included under the agreement's vision. Our recent regional Local Area Agreement seminars have been helping to ensure that homeless people have their needs considered at the local level.

Local e-Government and Social Inclusion

Communities and Local Government has released a new report on Local e-Government and Social Inclusion

The report highlights Cambridgeshire County Council's community access points in sheltered housing schemes, day centres and multi-purpose centres as an example of effective collaborative working between housing associations, district councils and local neighbourhood organisations.

We believe that ICT facilities and training can help people who are experiencing homelessness gain employment and move on with their lives. Together with ICT Hub we are conducting a project on homelessness agencies' use of ICT .

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation on Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2007

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2007 provides an independent assessment of the progress being made in eliminating poverty and reducing social exclusion in the UK.

The report focuses on income, education, employment, health and housing. The section on housing and exclusion suggests that:

• high housing costs can lead to poverty and also that poverty and social exclusion leads to housing insecurity and homelessness
• court orders for repossession are rising sharply and are now back to the levels of the early 1990s
• the number of heads of household with a mortgage but not in full-time employment, is now around one in seven

Update

Homeless Link has undertaken a comprehensive survey of needs and provision (SNAP).

This is the first time the sector has had baseline demographic data on its state, showing the true complexity and vulnerability of the client group it supports

Key findings highlight the need for more joint working between homelessness and other sectors:

• Prison leavers are present in a large majority of homelessness services and 20 per cent of projects estimate that over half or more of their clients are prison leavers
• Around 50 per cent of projects estimated that over half of the people they see have multiple needs
• 55 per cent of projects have accredited courses and 62 per cent have into-work training available

Update

We have written to all MEPs asking them to support the declaration on ending street homelessness , registered in the European Parliament in December 2007. Changes across the European Union are creating new challenges in rough sleeping in the UK.

We are working with Communities and Local Government, the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions to address rough sleeping among Central and Eastern Europeans in London

Update

Homeless Link's Joining the dots conference on 15th May 2008 at CCT Venues, London, will offer homelessness policy makers and service managers the chance to talk directly to researchers about their findings and understand, through interactive workshops, how they are relevant to their work.

Homelessness Statistics for Q4 of 2007

Communities and Local Government has released its homelessness statistics for Q4 of 2007 .

• On a seasonally-adjusted basis, there were 15,870 acceptances from stautory homelessness applications, 1 percent lower than the previous quarter
• 79,500 households were in temporary accommodation on 31 December 2007, 4 percent lower than at the end of the previous quarter, and 11 percent lower than this time last year. This number is below 80,000 for the first time since 2001.

Many people sleeping rough or living in hostels, sometimes referred to as 'non-statutory' or 'single homeless' fall outside these figures.

Ian Wright on gate-keeping by local authority homelessness units

The Government has outlined the steps it has taken in response to allegations of gate-keeping by local authority homelessness units where those approaching for assistance are prevented from making an official homelessness application.

Ian Wright's House of Commons written response outlines:

• That local authorities' efforts to prevent homelessness must work alongside their obligations under the homelessness legislation
• That the government is monitoring authorities to identify good practice and safeguard against any risk of gate-keeping

Mortgages and Repossessions

The proportion of statutory homelessness acceptances due to mortgage arrears doubled from two per cent in 2003/4 to four per cent in 2006/7.

Shelter's briefing makes a series of recommendations, including that mortgage lenders should inform local authority homeless persons departments when they commence possession action against borrowers.

Hot Topic

Caroline Flint has announced how £70 million will be allocated to 69 homeless projects across England.

The Communities and Local Government Places of Change Programme consists of capital investments to hostels alongside a culture change linked to greater opportunities for education and employment.

A recent article from the programme coordinator, Maff Potts, in Feantsa magazine outlined this approach, suggesting how engagement, education and employment should be the focus within homelessness projects. Also see our web pages on Places of Change

Projects awarded funding include training provision for residents to learn practical skills including catering and sound engineering and self-financing social enterprises, such as furniture making and cafes.

There will be help for people experiencing homelessess to set up their own social enterprises; for example, a Sports Academy in Gateshead, a surfing school in Newquay and a farm in West Dorset.

The European Federation of Homelessness Organisations on inclusion into and through employment for people who are homeless

The European Federation of Homelessness Organisations (FEANTSA) has released its 2007 report Multiple Barriers, Multiple Solutions: Inclusion into and through employment for people who are homeless

The report is based on national reports from 16 European Union countries and provides an overview of the employment situation of people experiencing homelessness and efforts to overcome employment barriers.

The report examines funding levels, partnerships and research on employment across the EU.

The FEANTSA national report for the UK estimates that only 5-10% of the 'non statutory' homeless population is in employment in England. Suggested barriers include:

• the high cost of hostel rents
• the steep tapers of housing benefits once someone is in work (making it unaffordable to work and be in a hostel)
• the shortage of affordable housing generally

James Purnell on work as a condition of getting benefits

James Purnell has announced that a new sanctions regime for benefits claimants will put work or work-related activity as a condition of getting benefits so that 'those who cannot find work would feel a sense of contribution' and 'those who don’t want to work would have to'.

He suggested that although the claimant count was at its lowest for 32 years and the employment level was a record at nearly £29.4m, more could still be done to help people into work.

We believe that any new sanctions regime would need to ensure that it did not overlook the appropriate support needed by some homeless or vulnerable people to find and keep employment.

New Home Office Drugs Strategy

The new Home Office strategy Drugs: protecting families and communities - 2008-2018 includes a commitment to developing a package of support to help people to complete treatment to re-establish their lives.

This includes ensuring that local arrangements are in place to facilitate access to housing, employment, education and training support.

Our Clean Break Project and toolkit provides practical tips on how housing and treatment services can work together more effectively to reduce the risk of homelessness among drug users engaging in, or leaving, treatment. Newham, Islington, Havering and Westminster Councils and providers are now taking forward action plans in this area.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation on Street Policing of Problem Drug Users

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation research report Street Policing of Problem Drug Users looks at the perspective of drug users and policing professionals on drug use on the streets.

In one quoted study of 877 problem drug users, 36 per cent defined themselves as either homeless at the point of entering treatment or when interviewed again eight months later.

The report suggests that even when drug users have some form of accommodation, such as a place in a hostel or supported accommodation, they may use drugs on the streets, for fear that use in accommodation will lead to eviction.

See our policy pages for more information on drugs and alcohol

The Department of Health on Health Inequalities

The Department of Health 2007 status report on health inequalities reports progress towards the government's target of reducing inequalities in health outcomes by 10 per cent by 2010 as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth.

The report outlines long-term progress in reducing child poverty and narrowing inequalities in housing quality.

We know that inadequate housing and homelessness has a proven detrimental impact on health, for example, homeless people are particularly vulnerable to Tuberculosis. Homeless patients are likely to experience considerable delays in reaching TB services and are more likely to present with advanced and infectious forms of TB. See our TB pages for more information.

The CSIP Pratical Guide to Integrated Working

The Care Sevices Improvement Partnership Practical Guide to Integrated Working for the NHS and local government presents the example of Sedgefield Council’s ‘Integrated Team’

This team includes social workers, district nurses and housing officers under single management for more effective service delivery and user outcomes.

We recognise that joint services and joint commissioning have a valuable role to play in helping homeless people with multiple needs.

Homeless Link's response to the Electronic Patient Records debate

Our response to the electronic patient records debate has been mentioned in Parliament.

We suggested that the low level of GP registration, particularly amongst street homeless people, means that they use more expensive A&E services for primary care more than the general population.

Electronic records offer:

• the potential to give homeless people a better continuity of care
• less likelihood of record loss for people moving frequently
• the potential for better, more informed, more cost effective, emergency treatment

Update

The Coalition on Older Homeless People at Homeless Link is currently working with local authorities to encourage them to carry out needs audits of their local older homeless populations to look at numbers and support needs.

Local authorities that have carried out the audit are being supported to find solutions to the housing and support needs of this section of the homeless population.

The COHP is:

• working with RSLs specialising in older people's housing to improve their partnerships with the homelessness sector
• highlighting best practice, for example around extra-care housing
• supporting a number of meaningful occupation projects for older homeless people around the country and sharing the lessons learnt.

National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society

Communities and Local Government has published its National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society The strategy includes a commitment to fund and develop a national advice and information service for older people, which will 'look at proactive housing options services in relation to the prevention of homelessness.'

In addition it suggests:

• that access to advocacy is important for hard to reach groups, such as older people experiencing homelessness
• that targeting people at key transition points is key
• that health and social care staff have an important role in preventing homelessness.

Green Paper: 'Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable'

The Communities and Local Government Green Paper Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable sets a new housing target to build a total of 45,000 new social rented homes a year by 2010-11 and 240,000 additional homes a year by 2016.

We are aware that a lack of social rented and affordable housing is still a major factor that inhibits people from moving out of homelessness.

Housing in the Budget 2008

Chancellor Alistair Darling has announced in the 2008 Budget that sites for an extra 70,000 new homes will be identified, alongside a commitment to delivering 200,000 homes on surplus public sector land by 2016.

We believe that increased housing supply will have a positive impact on homelessness levels in England, providing that investment goes into social rented and affordable housing.

The budget also announced two new shared equity packages to increase affordability for families, social tenants, key workers and first time buyers and allow more flexibility on the best mortgage deals.

The Housing Corporation on Supported Housing

The Housing Corporation has published its report Shared living - what works in supported housing. We believe that supported housing is a central element of maintaining the reductions in rough sleeping.

This report shows what residents believe is important for it to be a success and suggests how organisations can use the findings, and the evaluation framework, to shape their own supported housing schemes.

Consultation responses on the Future of Social Housing Regulation

The consultation responses to Communities England and the future of social housing regulation are now available. Communities England, now known as the 'Homes and Communities Agency' will transform the way homes are delivered and communities regenerated.

The new body will combine:

• English Partnerships
• Housing Corporation
• Communities and Local Government delivery functions.

Our recommended priorties for the new agency’s core outcomes were:

• preventing and tackling homelessness
• the supply of homes for vulnerable people.

With others, we also called for a number of safeguards to preserve and build on the strengths of the Hostels Capital Improvement Programme (now called the Places of Change Programme ), before any transfer to the new agency. These included:

• a strong team of investment staff
• sufficient flexibility to work with a wide range of partners.

In response to whether only the core housing functions should be regulated, respondents to the consultation wanted more clarity on whether 'core housing functions' included assisting homeless households.

The importance of Housing for Women Prisoners

The importance of housing for women prisoners published by the Ministry of Justice shows why those working with women prisoners should pay particular attention to their housing needs and offer support in seeking to maintain and gain housing on discharge from custody.

The report highlights that:

• in the last decade the number of women in prison has more than doubled with over 4,500 women being in custody at the end of 2007
• the majority of women receiving custodial sentences are subject to short sentences, two thirds for periods of six months or less, long enough to lose accommodation but often too short to arrange for another home
• nationally there are 15 womens prisons and on average a women is in custody 58 miles from home, reducing the likelihood of advisers having local housing knowledge or contacts.

The Home Office 'Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11'

The Home Office Action plan for tackling violence 2008-11 highlights how homeless people can be particularly vulnerable to violent attack or assault.

It stresses how understanding risk factors can help to predict the small number of people who will be involved in serious violence in any local area, including those who are at risk of victimisation.

UK Drug Policy Commission: ‘Reducing Drug Use, Reducing Reoffending’

A report from the UK Drug Policy Commission entitled Reducing Drug Use, Reducing Reoffending looks at the extent and nature of drug misuse among offenders and to what extent this is linked to crime.

The report suggests that problem drug-using offenders have particularly high rates of offending, but they also have high rates of a range of other problems, such as homelessness. This makes the relationship between drugs and crime more complex and the task of rehabilitation more challenging.

We believe that a number of services, including housing, need to work closely together to ensure successful treatment outcomes. See our Clean Break Project for more information.

Registered Social Landlords and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships

Communities and Local Government has published Registered Social Landlords and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships: Improving Engagement .

CDRPs are joint bodies of police, local authorities and other key agencies working together to tackle crime and disorder. The guidance should assist landlords in housing estates tackle problems such as:

• street drinking
• youth gangs
• truancy
• drug taking.

The report encourages housing associations to share intelligence of anti-social behaviour with other members of the CDRP and work together to share resources and expertise. This approach could minimise disputes between landlords and tenants that can eventually lead to evictions, a key cause of homelessness.

The Department of Culture Media and Sport on legal gambling

A new scoping study from the Department for Culture Media and Sport on legal gambling aims to show how social and economic researchers, local authorities and other stakeholders can best identify the social and economic effects of legal, commercial gambling in the UK.

Reccommended factors to be explored in the impact assessment studies include social harms arising such as increased family violence, homelessness, crime, and bankruptcy.

Our survey of needs and provision (SNAP) highlights that day centres are seeing clients with gambling problems, suggesting that this is an emergent issue in the homelessness sector.

Update

A baseline figure on Central and Eastern European rough sleepers in London is now available.

This is the initial publication from our Central and Eastern Europeans project, which aims to work with government departments, the homelessness sector and a wide range of other partners to develop an action plan to reduce levels of rough sleeping among people from Central and Eastern Europe.

The snapshot survey, which involved outreach teams from across London, found that 18 per cent of rough sleepers contacted during a week in November 2007 were from Central and Eastern Europe.

A guide to Commissioning Migrant and Refugee Community Organisations

A guide to commissioning migrant and refugee community organisations (MRCOs) has been published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

We are aware that MRCOs working with homeless people have rarely recieved Supporting People funding. This report highlights:

• how public services can be more responsive, including examples of MRCOs that are currently Supporting People service providers
• concerns over how vulnerable groups and the providers that support them will fare when the Supporting People ring fence is lifted and the fund is moved to an area based grant in 2009.

We believe that the work of MRCOs is often vital when homelessness agencies are unable to offer migrants and refugees traditional routes away from homelessness.

Home Office’s Consultation on Reform in the Immigration System

A new consultation from the Home Office on reform in the immigration system includes sections on access to benefits and local authority housing.

The results of nine 'public listening sessions' around Britain indicated that limited access to benefits in the period before citizenship was widely endorsed, particularly in relation to housing.

The report states that 'probationary citizens will not be entitled to access mainstream benefits or local authority housing'.

IDeA Report on Integrating New Migrants

A new research project by IDeA on Integrating new migrants has worked with focus groups of migrants to establish the twenty most important topics to include in information packs for new migrants and to review the resources that are currently available.

The top 20 suggested topics included:

• housing in the UK
• overcrowding and repairs
• homelessness

We believe that early support to migrants on these issues is key to preventing homelessness.

Update

We are supporting local service providers to actively engage with Local Area Agreements . This is particularly important as the Supporting People fund will be delivered through area based grants from 2009, subject to the results of a pathfinder project.

Local Area Agreements offer new opportunities for local service providers to strengthen partnership structures and gain new funding streams.

However there are also potential risks if providers do not engage and do not make links from their work to the LAA national indicator set.

Our Local Area Agreement web pages have been updated to include more best practice examples and new sections on:

• area based grants
• comprehensive area assessments
• survey of place
• multi area agreements
• getting local targets included
• LAAs in two-tier authorities
• Links to the latest briefings, consultations and documents relevant to LAAs.

Pathfinder Project

Fifteen local councils across England have been selected to be involved in the Pathfinder project to assess the impact of delivering Supporting People funding through a non-ringfenced grant.

The results will inform the decision on whether to bring Supporting People into area based grants from April 2009.