Housing & Homeless Challenges - Performance & VFM Scrutiny Committee Dave Smith Customer First Director First Choice Homes Oldham
1. Housing Need and Demand • Increase in demand - >19 000 register on – 69% increase over last year • c6000 with statutory reasonable preference need • 7.5% overcrowded • Why? - Demographics/household formation - Net Migration - Affordability/welfare reform - Access to credit/deposits
FCHO Responses • 92 New Homes and plans for >820 new homes • Diversifying products – market/sub-market sales and renting, shared ownership, rent to buy • Over £100m to be invested to be invested • CAF and CBL Reviews completed • Central Access Point • New IT system - >£300k invested • Lets to those in need from 40% to 75%+
FCHO Responses • BGreen and Holts and Lees Early Adopter lead • Co-funded Health, Care and Housing Offer • Hospital2Home – over 120 supported • HOOP – over 150 supported/over 30 rehoused • HOOP – over 150 supported/over 30 rehoused • A&E2Home – to prevent repeat presentations • 100% funded disability living support service • Funding 100% minor/ 50% major adaptations • Now considering out of town placements and mental health needs
2. Homelessness • GM 60% increase decisions/40% acceptances • 179% increase TA/361% rough sleeping • Oldham 4800 homeless advice cases pa • 91% increase decisions/83% acceptances • B&B spend increased 182% • Preventions only increased 5.4%
Homeless Reduction Act • Comes into effect April 2018 • Focus on homeless prevention , early intervention and support to all • Extended duties /personalised housing plans • Duties to start earlier and to more people • Likely to result in >50% increase in demand • Impact on resources and TA needs
FCHO Responses • HASWAS contract with CAB – advice and prevention • Improving efficiency /new IT system – c£30k • Increased TA - 8 units • 82% of all homeless lets • Increased staffing resources • Housing First - female offenders/rough sleepers • GMHP bid - rough sleepers social impact bond – homes and funding
FCHO Responses • Working with GM trailblazers to: - Sharing data, systems, resources and approaches - Local homeless hubs – out of hours - GM wide social lettings agency - Homeless Action Network – training and support - Develop more Housing First Approaches - Common Pathways for complex cases (MAPPA) - Linking Health and Homelessness
3. Affordable Housing • Social housing turnover reduced – c1200 pa • FCHO voids all time low – 70 - 80 (0.6%) • GM (1.5% vacancy rate)/Oldham (2%) is full • Need c10 000 new homes pa in GM & 700 pa in Oldham – currently building c300 pa • 43% cannot afford market housing in Oldham
FCHO Responses • Provide better advice and support – Disability Living Service, Aids and Adaptations, Housing Options for Older People, Independent Living Options for Older People, Independent Living and Tenancy Support, CAB and debt • Diversifying our offer – market, sub-market, affordable renting and ownership, shared ownership, rent to buy, shared accommodation, supported housing
4. Private Renting • Growing importance of poor quality private rented sector to meet need – >15000 • Low rental values , high investment need, poor management and high turnover • 14% not meeting HHSRS/17% disrepair • 40% non decent homes/11% fuel poverty • 46% BME/32% lone parents • 49% unemployed/22% retired
FCHO Responses • Tenancy Liaison Service • Social Lettings and Empty Homes bid to OMBC • 50% funded new Healthy Homes Project to help improve health and reduce demand improve health and reduce demand • GM wide Social Lettings Agency • Acquiring properties (especially ex RTB’s) • Private Sector Offer made to OMBC to do more
5. Oldham Economy • No. of jobs reduced c9k since 2008 • Resident employment reduced by 4k • Wages reduced/stagnant • Temporary /zero hours employment increased • Debt and graduate debt increased • Other working tax credit and family benefits reduced /ceased
FCHO Responses • New Directions Service - Employment and Skills • Delivering employment advice and guidance, skills training, volunteering and work placements/apprenticeships • 259 helped into sustainable work • 193 volunteering placements provided – half helped into employment • 86 work placements/18 apprentices/traineeships • Over £160m invested since transfer • c50% local spend within 10 mile radius of OL1 • Over 85% of c400 employees with an Oldham postcode • Further £100m+ to be invested into new homes
6. Welfare Reform • Universal Credit – FCHO over 1200 live and over 700 on full digital UC • Full digital 75% collection rate – increasing arrears (232%), evictions (FCHO 15) and homelessness (69 cases to date) • Less income to invest into new homes and services • Benefit cap (£20k pa) and benefit freeze means larger families (FCHO 111) struggling to afford rent
Welfare Reform • 18-21 year old – very limited housing cost entitlement (FCHO 16) • 21-35 year old – shared room rate of c£53 per week – 3737 on housing register - will this now be scrapped? • Supported housing/TA – now announced it will be exempt from LHA restrictions • Bedroom tax still in effect
FCHO Responses • Tenancy affordability and credit checks • Tenancy eligibility policy and checks • 2 weeks advance rent /direct debits • Introductory and fixed term tenancies • Regulatory and loan requirement to protect income streams and financial viability
FCHO Responses • Offered more support through vulnerability and risk assessments • Additional income collection, advice and tenancy support services – sometimes mandatory • Offer basic banking and credit union services • Offer employment support – sometimes mandatory • Offer Keyring, Treshold, De Paul, Serco managed and supported tenancies • Fuel Poverty work – Warm Homes Oldham • Shared accommodation pilot
7. FCHO Complaints • Service Request & Resolution Process • 2 day response time - reduced complaints • 2 stage complaints process • 10 working day response target • Total 402 – 99.5% within deadline • Members Enquiries -Dedicated Inbox • 2 working day target – 10 day promise • Total 428 – 97.2% within deadline
Some actions to consider • Review the Oldham Housing Strategy • Better understand and respond to future housing needs , affordability and new housing policies • Improve joint working with planning/private developers to get more new homes built • Develop and deliver GM/Oldham Homeless Strategies • Develop and deliver a Private Sector Offer • Better support and respond to Welfare Reform • Develop better links between health, care and housing – eg Mental Health, Step up/down accom’n
Recommend
More recommend
