The Coalition’s programme for government

Association of Housing Advice Services Conference Ruth Stanier

Thursday 15 July 2010

The Coalition is committed to decentralisation, smaller government and bigger society

“Today is the start of a deep and serious reform agenda to take power away from politicians and give it to people.“

David Cameron 18 May

“We need radical change that puts power back in the hands of people”

Nick Clegg 18 May

“I waited impatiently to get my hands on the levers of power. And what do I want to do now I have my hands on those levers? I want to hand over the levers to you.”

Grant Shapps - CIH Speech

Programme for government

• Strong focus on localism and deficit reduction

• Specific housing commitments include:

– Ensuring courts have the power to insist that repossession is always a last resort

– Measures to bring empty homes into use– Promote shared ownership schemes– New trusts that will make it simpler for communities to

provide homes– Reform Housing Revenue Account

A new approach to increasing the number of homes available

• Reform centralised bureaucratic planning system including system of top down targets

• Reduce regulation

• Introduce powerful new incentives scheme to enable communities to see the benefits of building more housing

• Empower local communities (localism) - getting local communities involved- getting local communities to take more responsibility- getting the voluntary and community sector involved

What’s happening on homelessness?

• Clear priority for the Housing Minister

• New cross-government approach to tackling homelessness– new ministerial working group– renewed focus on tackling rough sleeping

• Preventing repossessions

• Supporting People

• Reform of Housing Benefit

Ministerial Working Group on Preventing and Tackling Homelessness

• First meeting held on 16 June chaired by the Housing Minister

• Consists of Ministers from eight Government departments across Whitehall

• Will focus on the most needy who have nowhere to live, in particular preventing and reducing rough sleeping

• Group will be able to - to share information - resolve issues jointly - avoid unintended policy consequences

- ensure that the multiple needs of homeless people are met eg through employment, training, rehabilitation and healthcare

Rough Sleeping Count Methodology

• Commitment to introduce more accurate street counts

• Ministers want a more complete picture of the scale of rough sleeping

• New published figures out today covering every local authority area in the country, based on a mixture of counts and estimates

• Consultation document on the count changes will run to 3 September, with the changes to be introduced from the autumn

Trends in statutory homelessness

30,000

50,000

70,000

90,000

110,000

130,000

150,000

Homeless Acceptances Temporary Accommodation (snapshot)

• 9,590 acceptances (Jan – Mar 10), 16% lower than the same period in 2009 and 72% lower than the peak in 2003 (135,590).

• 51,310 households were living in temporary accommodation in England on 31 March 2010, 20% lower than the same date last year.

Housing Benefit reform

• Targeting use of Discretionary Housing Payments to prevent homelessness

• Ensuring tenants who may need to move have access to advice and support

• Ensuring appropriate use of intentionality test

• Confirmation of approach on Temporary Accommodation

• Scope for negotiation with landlords on rent levels

Localism and efficiency: what might this mean for Homelessness and Options Services?

• Key principles: putting communities in charge and getting more for less

• Who else could provide services? Could they be split / better packaged? Could quality, accountability and cost be improved?

• How could customer facing elements be delivered more responsively and cost effectively?

• What more can be done to engage individuals and communities in taking control and helping to plan/manage local services?

In conclusion

There are some key themes:

– Fiscal constraints: tackling budget deficit

– Protecting vulnerable people

– Decentralisation

– Localism

A changing environment in which to deliver housing priorities

The Coalition’s programme for government

Association of Housing Advice Services Conference Ruth Stanier

Thursday 15 July 2010