& Update on impact of Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 Policy - - PDF document

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Draft Homelessness Strategy & Update on impact of Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Policy Review Committee Tuesday 18 December 2018

Hertsmere Borough Council

Review of Homelessness

Homelessness Act 2002 – requirement to carry out a review of

homelessness and develop a new homelessness strategy every five years 2018 Review of homelessness sets out the following :

• National and regional context
• Current and predicted levels of homelessness in the borough
• Review of prevention activities
• Needs of vulnerable groups
• Review of temporary accommodation
• Housing Register and Allocations Policy
• Implementation of Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• Supply of new housing
• Staffing structure and resources

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Key Points from Review

South West Herts Strategic Housing Market Assessment

• Number of households in borough projected to grow by 33% - from

41,000 in 2013 to 54,000 in 2036

• Tenure split – 68% owner occupiers / 30% rented accommodation
• Stock transfer 1994 – 6,070 units to two housing associations –

nomination rights - annually circa 250-275 properties offered

• Average house price £332,950 – highest in Eastern Region
• Average rent circa £1,500 / Average gross income was £22,080
• Supply of new affordable homes

– 2016/17 – 20 homes completed – 2017/18 – 46 homes completed – 2018/19 – developments included Isopad House – 36 units affordable – Currently there are 70 affordable homes in the development pipeline

Hertsmere Borough Council

Homelessness Figures

Levels of Homelessness

• Homelessness Acceptances

– 2016/17 – 107 acceptances / 2017/18 – 153 acceptances

• Reasons for homelessness

– Parents no longer willing to accommodate – Friends / other relatives no longer willing to accommodate – Loss of private sector tenancy – usually Assured Shorthold Tenancy

• Homelessness acceptances 2017/18 by household type

– Family with children – 118 / Single people – 29 / Couple - 6

• Homelessness acceptances per 1000 households 2017/18 (Q3)

– All England 0.58 / London 1.01 / East of England 0.57 / Hertsmere 0.85

• Future levels – impacted by welfare reform, escalating local private rent levels,

migration from London and levels of new affordable housing supply

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Homelessness Prevention

• Homelessness approaches

– 2016/17 – 467 approaches / 2017/18 – 476 approaches / 2018 to date – 428 approaches

• Preventions in 2017/18

– Low – 80 cases of which 40 cases helped to remain in private sector tenancy

• Temporary Accommodation

– 145 households in Temporary Accommodation with 15 placed out of borough (1 Nov)

• Housing Register

– 837 applicants on the Council’s housing register of which 550 “live” (1 Nov)

• Homelessness Cases live – 173 (approx. 40 cases per officer) (1 Nov)

Hertsmere Borough Council

Key achievements since 2015

• East of England Peer Review
• Review and restructure of the Housing team including new posts albeit

3 of which are fixed term

• Creation of a Temporary Accommodation team and review of

accommodation provision

• Increase in Council owned properties used as temporary

accommodation to reduce reliance on private sector

• Creation of Hertsmere Developments Limited, a Council owned property

development company – business plan adopted by Council

• A comprehensive review of our Allocations Policy
• Creation of the Homelessness Forum and Landlords Forum

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Our vision

‘To continue to work in partnership to prevent homelessness’

In order to do this we have set out a number of priorities:

• Offer a range of support and advisory services to those presenting as or

threatened with homelessness regardless of need at the earliest opportunity

• Support vulnerable people and avoid homelessness (including rough

sleepers, those with complex needs and victims of domestic abuse or modern slavery)

• Increase the supply of affordable accommodation
• Continue to develop partnership initiatives to prevent homelessness
• Continue to work towards the gold standard for Housing services

Hertsmere Borough Council

Offer a range of support and advisory services to those presenting as or threatened with homelessness regardless of need at the earliest opportunity

• New duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• CAB provide housing, money and debt advice
• Comparing July 2017 and July 2018 there has been a 34% increase in

approaches for housing advice Achieving the priority:

• Establish protocols with social housing providers in relation to evictions
• Giving the right information at the right time
• Develop partnerships with range of local organisations to provide advice at

the earliest opportunity

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Support vulnerable people and avoid homelessness (including rough sleepers, those with complex needs and victims of domestic abuse or modern slavery)

• 70% of those accepted as homeless have dependent children
• 7% had a mental health need as their priority need
• Nationally domestic abuse accounts for 1 in 5 of all violent crimes
• Vulnerabilities highlighted - domestic abuse and modern slavery, gypsy

and travellers, children and young people, mental health needs and rough sleepers Achieving the priority:

• Develop partnerships with organisations such as Social Services
• Ensure appropriate support organisations are discussed as part of their

Personal Housing Plan

• Develop a Temporary Accommodation policy and review procedures

Hertsmere Borough Council

Increase the supply of affordable accommodation

• 556 applicants on Housing Register in August
• 2012/13 – 2013/14 only 296 lets were to new tenants
• Required income of £77,100 to purchase a lower quartile property
• £366 gap between LHA rate and the average rent for a two bedroom

property in Borehamwood

• Between 2013 – 2036, there is a need for 434 properties per annum that

are affordable Achieving priority:

• Review offers and scheme for private sector landlords
• Involvement in new development proposals and consultations
• Develop strategic links with Registered Providers

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Continue to develop partnership initiatives to prevent homelessness

• Holistic approach required with partner organisations
• Duty to Refer implementation

Achieving this priority:

• Develop partnerships with relevant organisations
• Make best use of existing housing
• Continue to engage with private sector landlords

Hertsmere Borough Council

Continue to work towards the gold standard for Housing services

Gold Standards sets out 10 local challenges

Achieving this priority:

• Corporate commitment
• Working in partnership
• Offering Housing Options prevention service to all
• No Second Night Out
• Having a private rented sector offer for all client groups
• Actively engage in preventing mortgage repossessions
• Not to place any 16/17 year old in B&B
• Not to place any families with children or pregnant members in B&B for

more than 6 weeks

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Homelessness Reduction Act

Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

• New duties from April 2018 so everyone who is homeless or at risk of

becoming homeless will have access to meaningful help, irrespective of their propriety need status as long as they are eligible for housing assistance.

• Duty to Prevent and duty to Relieve / threatened with homelessness

(within 56 day period)

• Duty to produce Personal Housing Plans; & Duty to Co-operate (on

applicant)

• Duty to Refer’ on statutory agencies. For example Police, Hospitals, will

be referring more cases

• Impact – New triage service, longer time, increased caseloads however

not seeing a significant increase in approaches or numbers placed in TA

Hertsmere Borough Council

Homelessness Reduction Act Impact

Impact

• Introduced a new triage service
• Have not seen a significant increase in approaches however the

caseload has increased to circa 40 cases per case officer (was 20 cases)

• Increase in caseload is due to the implementation of the new duties to

provide free advise and assess all eligible applicants and agree to a Personal Housing Plan: if we have reason to believe that the applicant is homeless or threatened with within 56 days.

• Previously we had 33 working days to assess homelessness
• The 56 day prevention duty can only be brought to an end if:

– client fails to cooperate or – client becomes homeless before the end of the 56 days or – we have successfully prevented homelessness before the end of the 56 days.

Appendix A

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Hertsmere Borough Council

Next Steps

• Further consultation on draft strategy in new year
• Adoption by Council in 2019
• Development of detailed Action Plan
• Ongoing performance and financial monitoring
• Regular Portfolio Updates to Scrutiny

Appendix A