The Housing Options Service

Deborah Brown – Quality Team Manager

Christine Wharton – Customer Services Team Manager

Presentation Aims Describe the role of the Housing Options Service 2006/07 in:

•Preventing Homelessness

•Promoting Housing Options

•Supporting Vulnerable People

•Improving standards in temporary accommodation

Preventing homelessness

•From Housing Assessment and Advice to Homelessness Prevention and Housing Options

•Appointments for all clients threatened with homelessness

•Quality Mark awarded by the Legal Services Commission in 2005.

•Homelessness applications reduced by 70% since October 2005.

Promoting housing options

•All clients offered advice and assistance by visit or appointment.

•All clients offered incentives to find their own accommodation privately.

•The Homefinders and Landlords Incentive Schemes

•7 Westminster Council tenants arranged a move out of London

•A Sanctuary Scheme for victims of domestic violence to remain at home.

Supporting vulnerable people

Young People

•Housing Act 2002 extension includes homeless 16/17 years olds in priority need.

•All young people asked to leave the family home are now visited to mediate and prevent homelessness.

•Partnership work with the voluntary supported housing sector to place 16/17 year olds in supported housing

•Half of all ‘young person’ placements are in supported hostels, half in B&B.

Supporting vulnerable people

Mentally vulnerable clients

•High proportion of single homeless adults with mental health problems.

•Joint Protocol regarding discharges from hospitals and homeless referrals.

•New Housing Bulletin given to all Community Mental Health Teams

•Better quality risk assessments introduced

•Floating support through Westlink for 120 clients.

Supporting vulnerable people

Other single clients

•Probation Service Caseworker

•Links with Rough Sleeper Buildings Based Services

•Occupational Therapy assessments

•Hospital discharge re-housings

•Joint Assessments for all elderly clients

Improving standards in temporary accommodation

•Reduced reliance on Bed and Breakfast.

•No families in B&B for longer than 6 weeks.

•Closer monitoring of RSLs and focus on self contained properties where standards are below expectations.

•New self contained units mainly for single clients

Where next ?•Reducing homelessness acceptances through prevention and increasing our supply of private sector tenancies

•Continual reviews for all priority cases on the Housing Register

•Housing options from the beginning to the end of the process

•Promoting more housing opportunities in other areas

•Continue to provide a high quality chartermark service to our clients.