HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY FOR NORTHUMBERLAND 2016 - 2021committeedocs.northumberland.gov.uk/MeetingDocs/... · accommodation was through a Part 6 offer; which means awarding Band 1 for

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HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY FOR NORTHUMBERLAND

2016 - 2021

Draft for Cabinet – November 2015

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Contents Foreword 3 1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………… 4 2. Reduce levels of homelessness through targeted prevention initiatives ……….6 3. Make better use of temporary accommodation to ensure that all household

types are provided for………………………………………………………………. 7 4. Support people through Welfare Reform ………………………………………… 8 5. Improve access to permanent accommodation and support ………………….…8 6. Prevent youth homelessness ……………………………………………………… 9 7. Monitor and review …………………………………………………………………. 10 Appendices 1. Homelessness Strategy Action Plan …………………………………..................11 2. National Policy……………………………………………………………………… 22 3. Profile of the Homelessness Service 2010 to 2015…………………………… 24 4. Northumberland Housing Local Context – Assessment of Current Situation .. 33 5. Achievements since the 2013/15 Homelessness Strategy………………………37 6. Consultation ………………………………………………………………………… 39

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Foreword

The Homelessness Strategy (2016 -2021) sets out the priorities and future actions

for tackling homelessness over the next five years.

The Council is committed to reducing and preventing homelessness. There have

been a number of achievements through the delivery of the Council’s

Homelessness Services since the last Strategy was published in 2013. However,

the Council recognises that some significant challenges lie ahead. Future levels of

homelessness will be influenced by the wider economic and social environment and

tackling these issues comes at a time when the Council is faced with making

significant budget savings.

The priorities within the Homelessness Strategy are based on the findings of the

Homelessness Review (2015). The Review considered the current and likely future

levels of homelessness, an audit of services available to the homeless, and the

resources available to tackle homelessness. There are many important findings in

the Review but it is very clear that a focus on prevention is the key to tackling

homelessness and this also makes the most financial sense. Therefore continuing

to develop our work around prevention will be a priority for the Council over the next

five years, along with improving access to both permanent and temporary

accommodation, particularly in the private rented sector. The Strategy and

associated Action Plan has been informed by consultation which took place

between August and October 2015.

The Council cannot achieve these priorities in isolation and partnership working is

fundamental to the delivery of the Homelessness Strategy in order to prevent

homelessness and offer sustainable housing options. We hope to continue to work

closely with partner agencies to help us deliver the Strategy successfully.

Councillor Allan Hepple, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth

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1. Introduction

1.1 The Homelessness Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to carry out a review of homelessness in their area and formulate and publish a Homelessness Strategy based on the findings from the review. This Strategy has been written in accordance with legislation and statutory guidance.

1.2 The Northumberland Homelessness Review (See Appendix 3) was carried out in 2015. It included an evaluation of what the Council had achieved during the period of the previous Strategy (See Appendix 5) and an assessment of the current situation regarding homelessness based on statistical information and consultation with key stakeholders.

1.3 The Strategy focuses on the key findings from the Homelessness Review and identifies priorities for the Council, along with a series of actions which will be delivered during the next five years.

Background Statutory responsibilities and impact of national policy 1.4 The Homelessness Strategy has been developed in the context of a wide range of national, regional and local policies, strategies and plans.

Homelessness Duty 1.5 Legal provisions covering statutory homelessness, prevention and relief are set by the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Act 2002. The legislation places a general duty on housing authorities to deliver advice and information on preventing homelessness, along with providing assistance to priority need households that are threatened with or become homeless. (See Appendix 2 for further information)

1.6 Since the last Homelessness Strategy was published in 2013 there has been a period of rapid social policy change, including major welfare and social housing reform that has affected homelessness, including:

Welfare Reform and Work Bill (2015) - The main provisions include a

reduction of the Benefit Cap (which includes Housing Benefit) from £26,000

to £20,000 outside London. Automatic entitlement to Housing Benefit for 18-

21 year olds will be removed from April 2017; and

The Care Act 2014 – introduced a statutory duty for Local Authorities to plan

for preventative services to support health and wellbeing. The Care Act and

its guidance clearly recognises the influence that the physical aspects of

housing and socio-cultural sense of home and community can have on the

health and wellbeing of the population.

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1.7 A summary of the relevant legislation and guidance is contained at Appendix 2, this also includes details of recent policy announcements and the Housing Bill which could impact on the ability to develop more affordable homes. Local context and key challenges 1.8 In order to provide a coherent vision for housing, planning and homelessness on a countywide basis this Homelessness Strategy is informed and influenced by a number of other Council documents particularly the Northumberland Housing Strategy, the emerging Northumberland Core Strategy and the Northumberland Private Sector Housing Strategy., 1.9 The Housing Strategy for Northumberland (2013-18) defines how the Council, working with partners, will deliver its statutory duty and requirements. It sets out the Council’s ambitious plans for meeting peoples housing needs through the delivery of new affordable housing, improvements to existing housing stock and the provision of housing support to those who need it. 1.10 Whilst Northumberland has recorded its lowest number of homeless applications in the last 5 years, and after reaching a peak in 2013/14 the numbers of homeless preventions have dropped by 35%, there are still a number of key issues and challenges which need to be addressed in the new Homelessness Strategy (2016-21) they include:

In 2014/15 domestic violence was the main reason for homelessness at 25% of all homeless acceptances, with the second highest reason for homelessness being the loss of tenancy in the private rented sector;

Female lone parents are the largest priority need group accounting for just over 50% of all households. Within this group 46% were made homeless due to domestic violence and 27% due to loss of private rented tenancy;

A quarter of all homeless households are aged 18-24; this group is particularly effected by Welfare Reform policies and lack of appropriate accommodation and support;

Since the 2013 Homelessness Strategy, Northumberland has lost 33% of its young persons supported housing; and

The most successful action to assist households to find alternative accommodation was through a Part 6 offer; which means awarding Band 1 for preventing homelessness on the Northumberland Homefinder.

The purpose of the Homelessness Strategy 1. 11 The Strategy sets out how the Council will work with partners to deliver services to households in Northumberland who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. It sets out the key challenges that exist in Northumberland, and the context in which the Strategy is delivered (see Appendix 3 and 4). The Strategy has been informed by consultation which took place during August – October 2015. It also defines objectives and identifies how the Council will:

Ensure that more households are prevented from becoming homeless and are able to remain in their own home;

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Improve access to both permanent and temporary accommodation;

Work with partners to mitigate the impact of Welfare Reform; and

Provide more housing solutions for young people. 1.12 The Strategy is accompanied by an Action Plan which sets out what the Council hopes to achieve and by when. The Action Plan will be used to monitor progress over time. Aims and objectives 1.13 The Northumberland Housing Strategy seeks to ensure that “The population of Northumberland has access to a home that is safe, warm and affordable and that sufficient support is available to those that are unable to meet their own housing needs”. 1.14 To deliver this aim, in respect of those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness in Northumberland, the objectives of the Homelessness Strategy are to:

1. Reduce levels of homelessness through targeted prevention initiatives;

2. Make better use of all temporary accommodation to ensure that all household types are provided for;

3. Support people through Welfare Reform; 4. Improve access to permanent accommodation and support; and 5. Prevent youth homelessness.

1.15 Sections 2 – 6 are structured around the delivery of the 5 objectives. Appendix 1 contains the Action Plan.

2. Reduce levels of homelessness through targeted prevention initiatives

2.1 The Homelessness Review (See Appendix 3) identifies that the main reasons for homelessness in Northumberland are domestic violence and the loss of a private rented tenancy.

Key issues and challenges:

Over the last 5 years homelessness from the private rented sector has risen by 81%;

The largest priority need household type is female lone parent families, of which 46% were homeless due to domestic violence;

65% of all single females are homeless due to domestic violence;

65% of couples with dependent children are homeless due to being served with a section 21 notice1from a private rented tenancy;

1 Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 specifies the procedure landlords have to follow to legally

obtain possession of a residential property let under an Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST).

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25% of cases of accepted homelessness are due to termination of assured short hold tenancies; and

Current services need to be maintained and enhanced to enable more households to remain securely in their own homes;

2.2 The Council’s Homelessness and Housing Options Team needs to respond to these main causes of homelessness. Although the total number of homeless preventions reduced in 2014/15 there were still 578 households threatened with homelessness that may otherwise have made a homeless application if the Council’s Homelessness and Housing Options Team had not intervened.

2.3 To seek to reduce the levels of homelessness the Council will:

Work closely with key partners to effectively tackle homelessness caused by domestic violence. Work will also be undertaken to increase the number of people who can remain in their own home, if it is safe to do so, through the Northumberland ‘Remain’ Target Hardening Scheme2;

Develop a targeted approach to effectively prevent homelessness from the private rented sector;

Review the pre-eviction protocol with Registered Providers (RPs) and develop a pre-eviction protocol for the private rented sector to enable early intervention; and

Carry out an audit of all prevention initiatives and services to identify gaps

in provision.

3. Make better use of all temporary accommodation to ensure that all household types are provided for

3.1 The Homelessness Review highlighted a gap in accommodation provision for clients with chaotic life styles or high support needs. The Review found that accommodating this client group in the Council’s current temporary accommodation provision could put other households at risk. The Review also identified difficulties for Homelessness and Housing Options Officers in finding both temporary and permanent accommodation for non-priority single homeless people.


There is a lack of temporary accommodation for client groups with high support needs;

There is no temporary accommodation for single people with no support needs.

2 A scheme for victims of domestic violence who have been identified as being at ‘High Risk’, where

security measures can be applied to make their home safe enough to remain in.

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3.2 To seek to make better use of all temporary accommodation to ensure that all household types are provided for, the Council will:

Review the provision and range of temporary accommodation options, especially for those with complex needs to minimise spending on Bed and Breakfast;

Carry out a review of current temporary accommodation to assess the possibility of reconfiguration to provide accommodation for a more diverse client group;

Explore models used by other Local Authorities that provide alternative ways of accessing temporary accommodation; and

Develop flexible temporary accommodation options for non-priority single homeless people.

4. Support people through Welfare Reform

4.1 Welfare Reform has the potential to result in significant challenges for households across the County. This will include both in and out of work households as reductions in benefit entitlement reduces households’ ability to meet their housing costs.


Measures relating to Welfare Reform could mean that many households' incomes will be reduced. Financial pressures can result in homelessness, particularly where these lead to rent or mortgage payment arrears; and

The cumulative effects of a number of benefit cuts on households’ ability to pay housing costs.

4.2 To support people through Welfare Reform, the Council will:

Work with partners to effectively support those effected by Welfare Reform;

Raise awareness of Discretionary Housing Payments to assist people who are effected by cuts to remain in their home;

Monitor the impacts of Universal Credit, respond with actions if possible and keep under review;

Investigate different ways of communicating to tenants and landlords about the potential impacts of Welfare Reform; and

Develop a communication plan to ensure that information is readily available for households who may be affected by Welfare Reform.

5. Improve access to permanent accommodation and support 5.1 The Homelessness Review found that accessing private sector housing for homeless households can be difficult in the North, West and Central areas of Northumberland due to affordability issues and the availability of suitable properties.

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The private rented sector is vital for those households who cannot afford to buy their own home or cannot access social housing.


Landlords are not willing to take certain clients without a package of support in place before rehousing;

Affordability in the private rented sector is an issue for single people under the age of 35 due to low Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates;

Private rents have increased by 5.4% from 2012, further affecting households already affected by changes to Welfare reforms;

Social housing availability is shrinking – a reduction of 8% from 2001 to 2011; whilst the private rented sector has grown by 40%; and

The second highest priority need group by household type is single people at 27%.

5.2 To improve access to permanent accommodation and support, the Council will:

Review the Bond Scheme and other incentives offered to landlords;

Investigate the practicalities of negotiating longer term tenancies for households placed into the private rented sector;

Work with Registered Providers to ensure that vulnerable clients are linked into their tenancy support schemes when rehoused;

Apply a more targeted approach in order to effectively prevent homelessness arising in the private rented sector; and

Continue to promote quality property and management standards through the Council’s Private Rented Sector Accreditation Scheme.

6. Prevent youth homelessness 6.1 The Homelessness Review identified that youth homelessness is still a priority for Northumberland. Young people aged 18 to 25 are Northumberland’s second highest priority need group and are subject to restrictions in Housing Benefit that effects their ability to afford suitable accommodation.


Reduced availability of supported accommodation for young people age 18-25 years;

Impact of current Welfare Reform and policies due to be implemented in the future around automatic entitlement to housing benefit; and

25% of all homelessness acceptances are aged 18-25 years.

6.2 Announcements made in the recent Welfare Reform and Work Bill that will further impact on young people include the withdrawal of automatic entitlement to

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housing benefit and the placement of conditions on eligibility for Job Seekers Allowance.

6.3 To seek to prevent youth homelessness, the Council will:

Review the joint protocols between Strategic Housing Service and Children’s Services and implement changes or develop new procedures;

Review the Care Leaver and Young Homeless Support Accommodation Framework to ensure that young people with lower support needs can be offered support and accommodation;

Develop a range of information aimed specifically at young people with regard to their housing options and the implications of Welfare Reform; and

Review permanent housing options for young people including move-on from temporary accommodation or supported housing.

7. Monitoring and Review of the Strategy

7.1 The Action Plan details the actions that the Council proposes to undertake under each of the five priorities. It focuses on the outcomes the Council would like to achieve and clearly sets out how progress will be measured for each action. 7.2 The Council will use the Action Plan to direct its workload and will report annually on the progress made; this will be reported to Members. 7.3 The Action Plan and the corresponding targets will also be reviewed annually and where necessary changes made in order to meet changing priorities and to ensure effective delivery of existing priorities. In addition a quarterly monitoring group will be set up to review progression against the Action Plan.

7.4 If changes occur that significantly affect the Councils ability to deliver on the priorities (for example new legislation) then the Strategy will be reviewed following an annual review. Equality and Diversity Statement 7.5 The Strategy and Action Plan has been tested to ensure it does not discriminate either directly or in directly on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.

7.6 Consideration has also been given to the key priorities determined within the Sexual Exploitation Strategy for Northumberland 2015-18 and the associated action plan to ensure that the delivery is supported within this Strategy.

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Appendix 1

Homelessness Strategy Action Plan 2016-21 Priority 1: Reduce levels of homelessness through targeted prevention initiatives

Action

Detail/ Progress Lead Resource Timescale for

completion

Outcome/Performance indicator

Review and improve current homelessness prevention tools, especially those enabling households to remain in their current accommodation

Undertake a detailed assessment of the existing prevention tools at the Council’s disposal and actively identify opportunities for improvement, including review of best practice with other Local Authorities

NCC Housing Policy team

Current resources

April 2016 Performance indicator: More households assisted to remain in their own home and increase in the number of homeless preventions (Monitored through the P1E)

Implement updated homelessness prevention toolkit

NCC Housing Services team

Current resources

May 2016

Undertake an audit of the effectiveness of the updated prevention tool kit


Current resources

November 2016 (first review) and then ongoing

Work with private landlords with tenants who have fallen into high

Review the Council’s current work with private landlords in this area


Current resources, National

April 2016

Performance indicator: Reduction in the number of households becoming homeless for the

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Action


completion


levels of rent arrears to prevent eviction

and compare this with the practices of other Local Authorities

Landlords Association (NLA)

private rented sector (Monitored through the P1E)

Review of best practice with other Local Authorities


Current resources, Regional Operational Managers Group (ROMG)

May 2016

Implement recommendations of the review


Current resources

June 2016

Develop a tool kit to support clients affected by domestic violence

Research and develop a domestic violence tool kit and examine examples of best practice used by other local authorities.


Current resources Domestic abuse service providers

April 2016 Customer more effectively supported. Improved customer experience

Implement tool kit NCC Housing Services team

Current resources

May 2016

Raise awareness of the Homelessness Service offer and appropriate

Undertake an assessment of scale of the issue.

NCC Housing Services

Current resources, NCC

March 2016 Fewer inappropriate referrals to the service

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Action


completion


pathways into the Service

team Communications team

Raised awareness of function of the Homelessness and Housing Options Service

Analyse result of assessment and recommend appropriate actions


Current resources

May 2016

Develop training plan with key partners to explain the role of the Homelessness and Housing Options service


Current resources, Children’s Services and Customer services

March 2016

Promote opportunities for ‘self-help’ through the use of Enhanced Housing Options and the range of prevention materials available on website

Update and re-launch the Housing Options Wizard on the Homefinder website.


Current resources

June 2016 Reduced contact with the homelessness service.

Customers better informed of choices

(Monitored through the number of hits on the Housing Options Wizard web page)

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Action


completion


Provide a range of information and advice on preventing homelessness for both clients and other professionals on housing options available in Northumberland


Current resources

June 2016

Investigate what resources are needed to achieve the Homelessness Gold Standard

Review progress against each one of the standards


Current resources

Dec 2015 Achieve a recognised set standard for the Homelessness and Housing Options Service

Identify additional resources, including range and costs associated with achieving the Homelessness Gold Standard


Current resources, (ROMG)

Jan 2016

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Priority 2: Make better use of all temporary accommodation to ensure that all household types are provided for

Action

Detail/ Progress Lead Resource Timescale Outcome/Performance indicator

Review the provision and range of temporary accommodation options, especially for those with complex needs to avoid the use of bed and breakfast

Identify gaps in the Council’s existing provision of temporary accommodation for people with complex needs


Current resources, NCC Adult Services, NCC Mental Health team.

Sept 2016 Increased number of bed spaces for a wider client group

Undertake research, including review of best practice with other Local Authorities and recommend solutions


Current resources

Oct 2016

Identify additional resources, including range and costs associated with recommended solutions


Current resources

Nov 2016

Examine ways of reconfiguring temporary accommodation to provide for a more diverse client group

Undertake a review of current provision and identify ways to make better use of current resources


Current resources, Accommodation Team

Sept 2016 Increased bed spaces for a broader range of customers

Develop flexible temporary accommodation options for single

Conduct a detailed review of the accommodation options available for single

NCC Housing Services

Current resources, HFN

Sept 2016 Increased temporary accommodation options for single people. Fewer people sleeping rough

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homeless people homeless people and identify how the Council’s existing stock can be used more flexibly.

team

Investigate the potential options for using new providers

Map current service delivery and research organisations best suited to fill gaps and willing to work in Northumberland


Current resources

March 2016 Customers have increased choice in accessing services Services available appropriate to needs of the customer

Explore models used by other Local Authorities that provide alternative temporary accommodation

Research alternative models of temporary accommodation, making recommendations for the Council’s own services


Current resources

March 2016 Increased options for temporary accommodation

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Priority 3: Support people through Welfare Reform

Action

Detail/ Progress Lead Resource Timescale Outcome/Performance indicator

Contribute to the corporate communication plan to ensure that information is readily available to households who may be affected by Welfare Reform.

Provide information and advice leaflets to inform people about the changes and how they will be affected

NCC Housing Services team and NCC Communications

Current resources

March 2016 Clear understanding of key messages to customers and staff

Fewer customers seeking advice on Welfare Reform issues.

(Monitored through the P1E) Cascade information to teams and customers

Increase access to financial support for customers

As part of the communication plan provide information and advice on financial support available

NCC Housing Policy Team and NCC Housing Services team

Current resources, Credit Unions, CAB

April 2016 Fewer customers facing homelessness due to financial difficulty

Make accessible to partners and customers self-help materials on benefit, debt, credit and fuel poverty issues and the use of credit unions.

NCC Housing Policy Team

Current resources

April 2016 More customers better informed and enabled to self –help. Fewer customers becoming homeless due to financial reasons (Monitored through the P1E)

Monitor the impacts of Universal Credit

Work across the Council and with partners to fully understand the impact of Universal Credit and seek to mitigate its

NCC Senior Management team

Current resources

Sept 2016 Performance indicator: Number of households made homeless due to rent arrears (Monitored through the P1E.)

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impact on rent arrears and tenancy sustainment.

Priority 4: Improve access to permanent accommodation and support

Action

Detail/ Progress Lead Resource Timescale for completion


Review housing options for customers with mental health issues/complex and chaotic behaviour, who may be deemed high risk, to ensure sustained tenancies, particularly in the private rented sector

Identify gaps in current provision and provide options to access permanent accommodation and support


Current resources, Mental Health team, Adult Services

Dec 2016 More suitable accommodation provided for this client group (Monitored through the P1E.)

Raise awareness of the support needs people with complex needs have with private sector landlords providing information and advice were appropriate

NCC Housing Services team and NCC Private Sector team

Current resources, NLA, Mental Health team

April 2016 Performance indicator: Fewer evictions from the private rented sector More people supported to sustain their tenancies

Explore opportunities to work with other service providers


Current resources

Jan 2017 Increased options in accommodation and support. More people supported to sustain their tenancies

Review the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme

Undertake a scoping exercise to examine

NCC Housing

Current resources

Nov 2015 Performance indicator: More households rehoused in the private

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(RDGS) and other incentives offered to landlords

RDGS’ used by other local authorities and identify opportunities for improvement to enable NCC to confidently discharge the homelessness duty to the private rented sector

Policy team and NCC Private Sector team

rented sector

Investigate practicalities of negotiating longer term tenancies for households placed into private rented sector

Research how other local authorities have achieved longer term tenancies


Current resources

Jan 2016 Support the discharge of homelessness duty to the private rented sector

Engage with private sector landlords on this issue via the Council’s Private Sector Landlords Forum

NCC Housing Policy team and NCC Private Sector team

Current resources

March 2016

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Priority 5: Prevent youth homelessness

Action

Detail/ Progress Lead Resource Timescale for completion


Review the joint protocols between Strategic Housing Services and Children’s Services

Strategic Housing Services to work collaboratively with the Children’s Services team to jointly review of the protocols and recommend changes

NCC Housing Services team and NCC Children’s Services

Current resources

Jan 2016 Improved awareness of protocol across all services

Review the Accommodation Framework

Undertake a review of the Accommodation Framework and recommend alternative working practices

NCC Housing Services team, NCC Adolescent Services

Current resources

Dec 2015 More sustainable providers. Increased housing solutions for young people

Ensure young people are kept up to date with Welfare Reform changes that may impact on them

As part of the communication plan investigate new ways of effectively communicating with young people.


Current NCC resources, Youth homeless providers

Dec 2016 Fewer young people being made homeless due to impact of Welfare Reform. (monitored through P1E)

Develop a range of information aimed specifically at young people

Compile information specific to young people and their housing options


Current resources, Youth homeless providers

March 2016 Raised awareness of housing solutions available to young people, ensuring fewer young people present as homeless (monitored through the P1E)

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Review permanent housing options for young people including move-on from temporary accommodation or supported housing

Identify gaps in the Council’s existing provision and explore the options available for working with other providers


Current resources, Youth homeless providers

April 2016 Performance indicator Reduced youth homelessness (Monitored through the P1E) Fewer tenancy failures Improved customer experience

Carry out research on housing options and provide recommendations


Current resources

June 2016

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Appendix 2 National Policy Homelessness Duty

A ‘main homelessness duty’ is owed where the Authority is satisfied that the applicant is eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and falls within a specified priority need group. Such statutorily homeless households are referred to as ‘acceptances’.

Where a main duty is owed, the Authority must ensure that suitable accommodation is available for the applicant and his or her household. The duty continues until a settled housing solution becomes available for them, or some other circumstance brings the duty to an end. Where households are found to be intentionally homeless, or not in priority need, the authority must make an assessment of their housing needs and provide advice and assistance to help them find accommodation for themselves.

The Housing Act 1996 sets priority need in relation to homelessness, which are households containing:

Pregnant women;

Dependent children; Someone that is vulnerable in relation to age, mental illness or disability;

Someone that is homeless as a result of an emergency or disaster.

Homeless young people aged 16 and 17;

Care leavers aged 18-21 and vulnerable people that have spent time in care;

Armed forces personnel and ex-personnel; Offenders and ex-offenders, and

Vulnerable people fleeing violence and abuse at home.

There are a number of policy documents that provide the drivers for shaping the

services we deliver.

The Housing and Planning Bill (2015-16) The Government has made a

commitment to extend Right to Buy discounts to Housing Association tenants, as

part of the Housing Bill. This policy will extend Right to Buy to 1.3m housing

association tenants in England. Right to Buy only covers local authority housing

stock at present. The Bill also makes provision for tenants with household incomes3

of £30,000 or over (and £40,000 or over in London) to pay market rate rents4. This

will apply to local authorities and housing association tenants.

3 Income refers to taxable income in the previous financial year to the one in question.

4 Where a tenancy ends, and the property is vacated, the Government expect properties to typically be re-let in line with their

previous lower rent – be it at social rent or Affordable Rent – to a household in housing need.

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The Welfare Reform Act (2012) is a key part of the Government’s approach to

social and economic reform and includes the introduction of Universal Credit and

Benefit Cap, the replacement of Disability Living Allowance with Personal

Independence Payments and the introduction of the under occupancy penalty for

Housing Benefit claimants in social housing.

The Localism Act 2011 introduced a raft of local government reforms across finance, planning, governance and housing. The changes relevant to homelessness include:

The right for housing authorities to grant fixed term tenancies;

Greater flexibility in the allocation of social housing; and

Discharging homelessness duties using private rented accommodation.

Laying the Foundation: A Housing Strategy for England (2011) identified addressing homelessness as a key priority for the Government to tackle; with greater focus on prevention as well as targeting action for dealing with rough sleeping. Two initiatives for homelessness have arisen from this Strategy: No Second Night Out (2011) a vision to end rough published by the Ministerial working group for Homelessness summarises the Government’s commitment to support the roll out of the principles of No Second Night Out nationally to help people off the streets, to access healthcare, into work and empowering local authorities.

The report sets out the Government’s approach to homelessness prevention by focusing on the contribution that a commitment around troubled families, health, crime prevention and employment and skills can make. The report calls for central Government, Local Authorities, Government agencies and the voluntary sector to work together to support those at risk of homelessness.

Making Every Contact Count (2012): a joint approach towards homelessness prevention

The report also set ten local challenges, which the Government has recommended Local Authorities should take forward. This strategy recognises the importance of these challenges and acknowledges existing work already undertaken or underway in response to them. The Council will ensure that the ten ‘Gold Standard Pledges’ remain key to its targeted approach in addressing homelessness prevention and homelessness.

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Appendix 3

Profile of the Homelessness Service 2010 to 2015 Levels of Homelessness Table 1 shows the overall number of applications made to the Homelessness and Housing Options service, including those where only housing advice and information was sought. After reaching a peak of 590 in 2012/13, the number of homeless cases dropped to 337 in 2014/15 which is the lowest point in five years. Over the same period the number of prevention cases rose steadily for four years to a peak of 893 in 2013/14, however they dropped by 35% in 2014/15. In addition to the homeless and prevention cases many people approach the service for housing advice only. After receiving initial advice, issues are either resolved or the client does not make any further contact and the case is closed. The figures in this category have increased by 159% since 2010/11.

Table 1: All applications to the service

Number of applications taken 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15

Homeless cases 421 540 590 390 337

Homeless prevention cases 494 548 637 893 578

Housing advice 210 258 222 507 543

Total number of households 1125 1346 1446 1790 1458

Between 2011/12 and 2012/13 the number of households accepted as homeless and in priority need increased to their highest levels over the five year period. The economic climate of the period meant that more people were in financial difficulty and struggling to pay their mortgage. The number of intentionally homeless decisions has decreased significantly from 6% of applications in 2010/11 to just 3% in 2014/15.

Analysis of the figures showed that 67% were intentionally homeless for having rent arrears and 55% of the households were lone parent families.

Table 2: Homeless decisions recorded on P1E

Year Accepted as homeless and in priority need

Homeless but intentionally so

Homeless but no priority need

Not homeless

Ineligible TOTAL

2010/11 188 29 83 120 1 421

2011/12 229 18 138 155 1 540

2012/13 227 21 164 179 0 590

2013/14 184 13 114 79 0 390

2014/15 199 9 70 58 1 337

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The highest priority need category is for households with dependent children, which ranges from 60 to 66 % of all homelessness acceptances; the second highest category is priority due to violence which accounts for 20 to 33%.

Table 3: Homeless decisions showing priority need

Priority Need (P1E records main reason)

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

Emergency 0 1 0 0 2

Children 113 147 151 120 121

Pregnant 18 12 11 7 9

16/17 year olds 11 7 2 5 6

Care leaver 2 5 1 1 0

Old age 5 5 2 1 5

Physical disability 3 5 2 1 7

Mental disability 9 24 13 6 0

Drug dependency 0 0 5 7 0

Alcohol dependency 0 1 0 8 0

Asylum seeker 0 0 0 0 0

Other 4 0 0 0 3

Care leaver 0 0 0 0 0

HM forces 1 1 0 0 1

Custody 0 2 0 0 0

Violence 22 27 40 27 38

Domestic Violence 16 19 15 19 29

Total 189 229 227 184 199

Over the last five years the 25-44 age group accounted for the highest number of homelessness acceptances. The number of 16 and 17 years olds reduced after the introduction of the Young People Housing Protocol between Children’s Services and Housing in 2011. The numbers reduced by 45% from 2010/11 to 2014/15.

Table 4: Households accepted as homeless showing age

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

16-17 11 7 2 5 6

18-24 59 64 74 57 50

25-44 80 122 118 86 105

45-59 29 24 26 24 31

60-64 4 7 2 1 2

65-74 3 5 4 6 4

75 & over 2 0 1 5 1

Total 188 229 227 184 199

Female lone parent families are the largest priority group; in 2014/15 they accounted for just over 50% of the total. 46% of this group are homeless due to domestic violence and 27% due to loss of a private sector tenancy.

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The second largest group is single females at 19%, further examination of this group showed that 65% of all single females were homeless due to domestic violence. 65% of couples with dependent children are homeless due to being served with a section 21 notice from a private rented tenancy. Table 5: Homeless acceptances by household type

Household Type 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Couple with dependent children 47 44 52 34 23

Lone parent male 7 8 6 2 8

Lone parent female 69 103 99 96 100

Single male 17 21 17 12 17

Single female 29 34 40 25 37

All other household groups 19 19 13 14 15

Homelessness due to domestic violence reached its highest point in 2012/13; after a 23% fall in 2013/14 the figures increased again by 22% in 2014/15 accounting for 24% of all homeless cases. The figures also show that homelessness due to mortgage repossessions has decreased by 82% from 2010/11 to 2014/15. The fall was due to less people facing financial difficulty through loss of earnings and processes being in put place to make it more difficult for the mortgage lenders to repossess properties. This is in contrast to the loss of home in the private rented sector where there has been an increase of 81% over the same period. The 2014/15 figures show that in 21% of the cases, the landlord served a notice to quit because they intended to sell the property.

Table 6: Households accepted as homeless showing main reason for homelessness

Main reason for homelessness 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Parents no longer willing or able to accommodate

23 41 25 16 18

Other relatives or friends no longer willing or able to accommodate

14 24 10 12 7

Non-violent relationship breakdown 17 16 13 17 14

Violence: Violent relationship breakdown involving partner

48 57 86 66 81

Violence: Violent relationship breakdown involving associated persons

7 8 5 6 4

Violence: Racially motivated 0 0 0 1 0

Violence: Other forms 2 6 4 3 5

Harassment, threats or intimidation: Racially motivated harassment

0 1 0 0 0

Harassment, threats or intimidation: other forms of violence

7 4 3 6 7

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Main reason for homelessness 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Mortgage arrears (repossession or other loss of home)

17 11 4 4 3

Rent arrears on: Local authority or other public sector dwellings

0 1 1 0 0

Registered providers 2 0 0 0 0

Rent arrears on public sector dwellings 4 2 5 3 0

Loss of rented or tied accommodation: Termination of assured short-hold tenancy

27 36 45 36 49

Loss of rented or tied accommodation : Reasons other than termination of assured short-hold tenancy

8 8 14 10 5

Required to leave accommodation provided by the Home Office as asylum support

0 0 0 0 0

Left prison 0 1 1 0 0

Left hospital 3 4 1 0 0

Left other institution or LA Care 2 2 1 1 2

Left HM Forces 0 1 3 1 0

Other (including homeless in an emergency, ex Forces, returned from abroad, sleeping rough or in a hostel

7 6 6 2 4

Homelessness Preventions Taking action to prevent homelessness forms the majority of the Council’s activity. Homelessness prevention involves providing people with the ways and means to address their housing and other needs to avoid homelessness. This is done by either assisting them to obtain alternative accommodation or enabling them to remain in their existing home, even though the authority is under no statutory obligation to do so. From 2010/11 to 2014/15 there was a 73% decrease in the number of households who were assisted to remain their own home. This corresponds with the increase in the number of households assisted to find alternative accommodation. One of the most successful prevention methods recorded was negotiations with family or landlord. This falls within the ‘Other’ category shown below. The most successful action to assist households to find alternative accommodation was through a Part 6 offer which means that the household was awarded Band 1 for preventing homelessness on the Northumberland Homefinder. This enabled 1083 households to be rehoused from 2010 to 2015.

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Table 7: Preventions

Type of Prevention Year

(A) Household able to remain in existing home as a result of:

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Mediation using external or internal trained family mediators

11 10 5 9 3

Conciliation 17 9 34 5 0

Financial payments 2 2 1 6 5

Debt advice 17 15 8 4 3

Resolving Housing Benefit problems 2 1 7 1 3

Resolving rent arrears 29 7 1 2 4

Sanctuary Scheme 0 0 3 0 2

Crisis intervention – providing emergency support

0 1 2 0 1

Negotiation in private sector 45 21 29 17 8

Other assistance in the private sector or social rented 18 32 29 23 10

Mortgage interventions 13 1 1 5 0

Other 86 76 411

69 26

Total A

240 175 161 141 65

(B) Household assisted to obtain alternative accommodation by:

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14 2014/15

Hostel or HMO 21 12 10 16 20

Private sector with incentive(e.g cash bond) 4 3 40 143 34

Private sector without incentive 31 54 90 114 82

Friends or relatives 60 49 35 14 4

Supported accommodation 14 35 31 50 35

Social housing management move 0 1 1 0 4

Social Housing part 6 offer 75 159 193 346 310

Social housing negotiation with RSL 31 36 26 13 8

Low-cost home ownership 0 1 0 0 0

Other 18 23 50 56 16

Total B 254 373 476 752 513

Total A and B 494 548 637 893 578

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Mortgage Repossession Notification Scheme

Under the Civil Proceedings Rule mortgage lenders are required to notify local authorities when repossession proceedings on mortgaged properties have commenced. The aim of the scheme is to enable local authorities to prevent homelessness at an early stage and to carry out interventions in repossession cases. Letters are sent to every household advising that they can contact the Housing Options service for advice and assistance. Table 13 highlights the volume of early stage intervention work carried out by in order to prevent households progressing to homelessness. The figures remained at a constant level until 2014/15 where they fell by 42%; this is also reflected in the number of households becoming homeless due to mortgage difficulties. Table 8: Notifications received from mortgage lenders

2010/11

20011/12

20012/13

20013/14 2014/15

Notifications

347 343 324 374 216

Homeless Acceptances

17 11 4 4 3

Preventions

13 1 1 5 0

Mortgage and Landlord repossession Information taken from the Ministry of Justice shows that in the Northumberland County Court, the number of outright re-possessions fell from a high of 350 in 2011 to 182 in 2014 which is a 48% decrease.

The number of mortgage repossessions has reduced by 68% from the highest peak in 2011. Social landlords account for 57% of all outright re-possessions in 2014.

Table 9: Outright possession 2010 to 2014 (Data not available for 2015)

Mortgage Social Landlord Private Landlord Total

2010 115 57 14 186

2011 227 116 7 350

2012 135 85 6 226

2013 90 94 6 190

2014 73 103 6 182

Most households accepted as being homeless were classed as being ‘homeless at home’, which means that they did not have an immediate need for temporary accommodation. In 2014/15 only 19% of all homeless households accessed temporary accommodation

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Table 10: Immediate outcome for households accepted as homeless

Outcome 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15

Placed in temporary accommodation

70 71 73 50 39

Homeless at home

126 148 150 133 157

Accepted qualifying offer of assured short-hold tenancy (AST)

0 3 1 1 1

Accepted “Part 6” offer

1 3 1 0 2

Made own arrangements

1 4 2 0 0

Total 188 229 227 184 199

Benchmarking Decisions made during the year April 2014 - March 20155 The figures show that in 2014/15 the rate for homelessness acceptances in Northumberland is 1.38 per 1,000 households; this is well below the national figure of 2.40 and the regional average of 1.89.

Table 11: Homeless acceptance rates per 1000 households

Local authority area

Numbers accepted as being homeless and in priority need

Number per 1,000 households

Total decisions

Northumberland 194 1.38 331

Durham 185 0.81 310

Newcastle 161 1.35 1291

North Tyneside 191 2.04 355

South Tyneside 246 3.60 310

Gateshead 196 2.17 310

England 54,430 2.40 112,330

Table 12: Homelessness acceptance rates per 1000 households Northumberland/England

Year Northumberland England

2010/11 1.39 2.03

2011/12 1.68 2.31

2012/13 1.64 2.41

2013/14 1.32 2.32

2014/15 1.38 2.40

Since reaching a peak in 2011/12 the rate of acceptances in Northumberland has fallen significantly. Whereas, over the same period England has seen a steady increase.

5 Table 784: Local Authority Summary Local authorities' action under the homelessness provisions

of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts (financial year) Local authority, 2014-15

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The following figures show the picture of both homeless demand and performance in Northumberland compared with that of neighbouring authorities6. Northumberland is in line with many of its neighbouring authorities for homelessness decisions; only Gateshead and South Tyneside have a higher decision rate. Sunderland has to lowest acceptance rate in the North East region.

Figure 1: Statutory homelessness decisions 2014/15

Figure 2: Number of homeless acceptances per 1000 households

Northumberland has the 4th highest rate of homeless acceptances per 1000 households.

6 Source: Homelessness Live Table 784 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-

tables-on-homelessness

050

100150200250

81

161 185 191 194 196

246

0.000.501.001.502.002.503.003.504.00

0.67 0.81 1.35 1.38

2.04 2.17

3.60

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

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Figure 3: Homeless prevention and relief 2014/15

Northumberland has the second lowest prevention and relief rate in the North East. Figure 4: Homelessness preventions per 1000 households

Northumberland has the lowest prevention rate per 1,000 households in the North East.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

499 574

1254 1508

2958

3671 3831

1 4 22 111 5 0 291

Prevented

Relieved

0

10

20

30

40

50

5.34 4.12 5.62

23.71 24.48

40.72 34.55

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Appendix 4

Northumberland Housing Local Context – Assessment of Current Situation Local factors in Northumberland have an integral role in driving levels of homelessness in the County and determining the appropriate policy prescriptions and interventions that should be used to address them. This section considers the following factors:

Tenure composition;

Rental prices and affordability;

Local Housing Allowance; and

Access to housing that is affordable. Tenure Composition The tenure composition of housing stock in Northumberland has some interesting implications for homelessness in the County. The overwhelming majority of Northumberland’s 138,534 homes, some 81%, are in the private sector and are either owner occupied or private rented. This comprises of 66% owner occupied stock and 15% private rental stock. The remaining 19% are socially rented. The percentage of owner occupied and social rented stock in Northumberland is slightly higher than the national average which is 65% and17%. In contrast, the percentage of private rented stock is lower than the national average which is18%. The table below highlights the key trends affecting shifting tenure types in recent times. The private sector tenure has expanded rapidly with a 40.8% increase from 2001-2011. There has also been a modest increase in home ownership (4.5%) and a marked decline in social housing (8.2%). The growth of the private sector tenure has had a clear and noticeable effect on homelessness in Northumberland. During 2014/15, 49 out of 199 (24.6%) cases accepted as homeless have resulted from the termination of short-term assured tenancies in the private sector. This is significant as homeless people are less likely to sustain their tenancy in the private sector, but the decline of the availability of the social tenure may leave them with little alternative to than to pursue a private sector tenancy. This has the potential to act as a driver behind the number of accepted homelessness cases in the County. Table 13: Tenure changes in Northumberland7

Tenure 2001 2011 Change

Count % Count % Count %

7 Source: 2001 Census, 2011 Census

34

Owned (inc

shared ownership) 87,707 67.1% 91,717 66.2% 4,010 4.5%

Social rented 28,156 21.5% 25,841 18.7% -2,315 -8.2%

Private rented

14,885 11.4% 20,976 15.1% 6,091 40.8%

Total 130,748 100% 138,534 100% 7,786 5.9%

Rental prices and affordability

The surge in the size of the private rent tenure is partially driven by affordability issues with owner occupation and the availability of social rented properties. This has led to a number of people being priced out of the rental market, making sustainable access to affordable rented housing a key issue for homelessness in the County.

In Northumberland, private rents are significantly higher than current Council and Registered Provider rents, though they are increasing at the same rate. On average, since 2012 private rents have increased by 5.4%, Council rents by 5.4%, Registered Provider rents by 1% and affordable rents by 5.5% (Hometrack 2014). This will make private rent increasing difficult to afford for people on low incomes. The table below provides breakdown of this information. Table 14 Rents per week per tenure in Northumberland April 2013-March 20148

Tenure 1 bed 2 bed 3 bed

Private rent (weekly) £86 £103 £121

Council rent £51 £50 £55

Registered Provider rent

£55 £63 £68

Affordable rent £69 £82 £97

It is important to note that these rises are in line with national trends where private rental prices grew by 1% in Great Britain between March 2013 and March 2014. In England, weekly rents in 2014 were £10 more than in 2008/2009 with an average of £163 per week (excluding services but including housing benefit). For the social rented sector, the average rent was £89 per week (increase from £71) (DCLG 2014). The increase in rents will have a knock on effect on the affordability of the private rented tenure for people on low incomes and their ability to sustain their tenancy; this is likely to have implications for homelessness levels in Northumberland.

8 Source: Hometrack 2014

35

Local Housing Allowance Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a form of Housing Benefit that helps people to pay their rent in the private rented sector. The amount of financial help people can claim through LHA depends on the area where they live, their circumstances and how many bedrooms their household needs. This is also affected by people's earnings and savings. For the purposes of LHA, Northumberland is divided into four Broad Market Rental Areas (BRMA). The table below shows the rates for Northumberland and Tyneside which covers the majority of the County, with the former Tynedale area being part of the Tyneside BRMA.

LHA weekly rates are typically higher in the Tyneside market area than in the rest of Northumberland, due to the higher rental prices for properties in the area. People aged under 35 are only entitled to the shared room rate of LHA. However, there is a shortage of shared properties available in Northumberland, which limits people’s access to housing they are able to afford. Information from the Valuation Office Agency (2013/14) shows that the average cost of a room in shared accommodation in Northumberland is £354 per month; this highlights the affordability issues for single people under the age of 35.

This may lead people to rent larger properties and make up the short fall between the LHA payments and the rental costs themselves. It may be difficult for people on low incomes to sustain their tenancy in these circumstances, which has implications for homelessness levels in the County.

Table 15: Local Housing Allowance 2015-16

Broad Rental Market Area

1 April 2015 to March 2016 Weekly Amount

(calendar monthly equivalent in brackets)

Shared accom rate

1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds

Northumberland £65.65 (£285.26)

£74.15 (£322.20)

£84.45 (£379.99)

£103.56 (£449.99)

£138.08 (£599.99)

Tyneside (including former Tynedale area)

£60.00 (£260.71)

£90.90 (£394.98)

£103.56 (£449.99)

£115.07 (£500.01)

£149.59 (£650.00)

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Access to housing that is affordable The supply of housing has failed to keep up with demand and it is widely recognised that there is an undersupply of new homes9. The mismatch between supply and demand means that property prices are growing at a much faster rate than incomes.

In the year to November 2014, house price inflation was 10.4% in England10.

One measure used to determine affordability is the ratio between lower quartile house prices to lower quartile household income.

Affordability is a serious issue across Northumberland with the lowest quartile

house price to income ratio in Northumberland at 7:111.

There are notable differences in affordability across Northumberland; the areas with

the most extreme affordability pressures are in the Central, West and most of the

North of the County.

When comparing Northumberland to Newcastle and North Tyneside, there is little

difference in affordability. However, when compared to England as a whole,

Northumberland is relatively affordable.

The lack of affordable homes can be a barrier that prevents people moving out of homelessness and is also one of the causes.

Single people who are homeless often struggle to access social housing as they are not in ‘priority need’ and often the only option available to them is the private rented sector.

In addition to the constraints of supply of affordable properties to rent there are a number of barriers to accessing the private rented sector for people on low incomes and in receipt of housing benefit.

Private landlords are reluctant to let to people on housing benefit and accessing or saving up for a cash deposit or rent in advance is often unaffordable.

These difficulties have led to issues with single people not being able to move on from homelessness accommodation projects when they are ready to.

9 Shelter (2013) Solutions for the housing shortage: How to build the 250,000 homes we need each

year, http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/689447/Solutions_for_the_housing_shortage_-_FINAL.pdf 10

ONS House Price Index, November 2014 http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_391092.pdf 11

Draft Private Sector Housing Strategy for Northumberland 2015

http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/689447/Solutions_for_the_housing_shortage_-_FINAL.pdf

http://england.shelter.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/689447/Solutions_for_the_housing_shortage_-_FINAL.pdf

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_391092.pdf

37

Appendix 5

Achievements since the 2013/15 Homelessness Strategy Northumberland’s second Homelessness Strategy, published in 2013 was based around the following five priorities:

Reducing homelessness through prevention;

Improving the quality and making best use of new and existing temporary accommodation;

Preventing youth homelessness;

Continuing partnership working and increasing service user involvement; and

Supporting people through Welfare Reform

Some of the Actions completed since the publication of the 2013 Homelessness Strategy are shown below:

The Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme (RDGS) is a service that has been developed in-house and is available to help people find suitable, affordable accommodation by providing a bond guarantee to secure a property in the private rented sector. The landlord is given a paper guarantee that can be claimed upon at the end of the initial tenancy period if there has been damage to the property or rent arrears.

Funding from the Homelessness Grant has contributed to the development of a project with ESCAPE Family Support. The project called Jennies Place which will provide supported housing for homeless and vulnerable single (non priority) women in Northumberland who have a history of unsettled accommodation and complex support needs.

A joint bid with Newcastle and Gateshead to the DCLG ‘Help for Single

Homeless fund’ has led to the development of the Benefits Employment

Action Team (BEAT) which will help to increase the numbers of single

homeless people entering employment who live in supported

accommodation in Northumberland. They will also support them to meet their

Claimant Commitment, reduce benefits sanctions, associated financial

difficulties and risks to secure housing.

The Northumberland Domestic Abuse Service has been commissioned after

a successful bid to the DCLG’s ‘Funding to strengthen accommodation

based specialist domestic abuse service provision’ The service will support

and offer counselling to anyone suffering domestic abuse including men and

LGBT.

Northumberland was part of the North East Regional Homeless Group bid to

the DCLG to secure the Fair Chance Fund service in partnership with Home

Group. Northumberland has been allocated support for up to twenty young

people over a three year period.

Alternative temporary accommodation has been acquired in Hexham which

provides a safer environment and better meets the needs of the client group

38

Looking forward, the Council acknowledges that there are still some considerable

challenges ahead to tackle homelessness. With fundamental changes in the

housing market and in social and national policy changes we will continue to need

to work closely with our partners to prevent and tackle homelessness in the County.

39

Appendix 6 Consultation In the development of this Strategy consultation was carried out with partners and staff.

A Homelessness Review consultation workshop was held on 17 August 2015. People were asked to consider the priorities from the 2013 Homelessness Strategy and whether they thought they were still relevant or did they need to be updated to reflect the findings of the Homelessness Review. It was agreed that the previous priorities from the 2013/15 Homelessness Strategy are broadly still relevant to the homelessness service, however it was considered that they should be amended to specifically address issues highlighted in the 2015 Homelessness Review. Changes made to the previous priorities are summarised below:

Preventing homelessness will remain a priority for all clients, however due to the high numbers of people who are made homeless due to domestic violence and loss of tenancy in the private rented sector it was agreed that emphasis should be placed on developing new prevention tools and initiatives to tackle these specific issues.

The consultation highlighted problems accommodating chaotic and high needs clients in the Council’s temporary accommodation. It was felt that it was a gap in provision and a priority for the Council would be to reconfigure current accommodation to meet a wider range of needs.

It was agreed that preventing youth homelessness should remain as a priority for the Council due to high numbers of homeless clients age 18-24 and their difficulty accessing accommodation and support. Welfare Reform policies directed at this age group may lead to increased homelessness.

It was also agreed that continuing to support people through Welfare Reform should remain as a priority as new measures emerging from the Welfare Reform and Work Bill could potentially affect both working and non-working households’ ability to meet their housing costs.

An additional priority aimed at improving access to permanent accommodation and support will help to address gaps in accommodation and provide support to those who need it; enabling improved and speedier move-on from temporary or supported accommodation.

Documents

HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY FOR NORTHUMBERLAND 2016 - 2021committeedocs.northumberland.gov.uk/MeetingDocs/... · accommodation was through a Part 6 offer; which means awarding Band 1 for