Homelessness levels falling in Kerrier

Levels of homelessness in Kerrier have been falling year on year, following the introduction of an ‘options-based’ approach including the promotion of the prevention of homelessness and innovative solutions to tenancy sustainment.

Kerrier has been assisted in its homelessness work over the last few years through advice and financial assistance from the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG), as well as adopting a clear focus and strategy to reduce homelessness and tackle the causes of homelessness.

Homelessness decisions have fallen from 328 in 2003/04 to 150 in 2005/06 (a fall of 54%), and this trend is expected to continue this year and in coming years.

The Council owes its success to developing a range of housing options, backed by a flexible budget which allows officers to work innovatively to assist households to obtain or maintain tenancies in the private sector.

Councillor Mrs Carolyn Rule, Portfolio Holder for Housing attributed the commitment of the Housing Service staff as being key to the improvements in performance and service delivery over the last few years and said: ‘Kerrier District Council is proud of its record in reducing homelessness and is always looking for new and innovative ways to improve. We have recently obtained funding from the CLG to target households within the Kerrier district who are living in Housing Association properties and who are under-occupying their accommodation to offer financial incentives to downsize. Initiatives such as this play an important part in enabling us to place families who are in temporary accommodation in permanent homes.’

Cathy Hadfield, Homelessness Strategy & Performance Manager added: ‘The CLG funding will enable us to offer cash incentives to people to downsize their home. For example, those living in a family property with 3 or 4 bedrooms and have one or more spare bedrooms now the children have left home, may be eligible for up to £1,000 to move to smaller accommodation with the same landlord.’

So far this year (from April 2006), Kerrier has assisted 111 households to access or maintain a tenancy in the private sector by paying deposits, rent in advance, court costs, rent arrears and even paid for a caravan to allow a gypsy household to maintain their chosen lifestyle in decent accommodation, rather than become homeless.

Jane Barlow, Head of the Housing Service said: ‘This approach to tackling homelessness is not only preventing homelessness, but it is also cost effective, with average costs of around £1,500 per household to prevent homelessness for at least 6 months, compared with an average of £2,000 to keep a homeless family in emergency B& B for 6 weeks.

There are additional financial costs of homelessness beyond this initial emergency response, not to mention to impact upon social, health and wellbeing for adults and children associated with the uncertainty of living in temporary accommodation for long periods.’

If anyone is interested in the CLG downsizing scheme please contact Cathy Hadfield at Kerrier District Council on 01209 614087. Please act quickly as funds are limited, and will be awarded on a ‘first come-first served’ basis to qualifying households.