Working in partnership to tackle homelessness

1. Working in partnership to tackle homelessness Madeleine Jeffery Gerald Wild Special Advisors (Homelessness) Housing Corporation & CLG Homelessness Action Team

2. What has been achieved so far? Improved quality of place & better outcomes for people: Housing supply increased to over 180,000; Number of non-decent social homes reduced by more than 1 million; Over 1 million vulnerable people helped each year through Supporting People; Significant reductions in homelessness; Reductions in the number of households in Temporary Accommodation Over 350 social landlords have signed up to the Housing Respect Standard for Housing Management

3. Key themes looking forward Responsive services, empowered communities, stronger place shaping role for councils (Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill); Independence, opportunity, personalisation and choice (The Supporting People Programme); Ensuring social housing acts as a platform for economic and social mobility (Hills Report); Regulation of social housing to encourage better management, new supply and tenant empowerment (Cave Review); Joining-up the delivery of housing and regeneration, and support local authorities in creating prosperous and cohesive communities (New Homes and Communities Agency); More homes to meet growing demand; well-designed and greener homes, and more affordable homes to buy or rent. (Housing Green Paper).

4. Taking forward the Hills report on the future roles of social housing Though there is a strong emphasis on increasing the supply of housing, there is a continuing focus on improving existing housing and services to: Look at role social housing can play to help people back to work Support initiatives to help tenants to move where they wish to do so Increase opportunities into sustainable home ownership for tenants Deliver more mixed and cohesive communities Give tenants a greater voice Better meet the needs of older people

5. Rough Sleeping – key successes Target to reduce rough sleeping by two thirds by 2002 – target met in December 2001 a year ahead of time Numbers of Rough Sleepers in England have continued to reduce The 2007 estimate shows there are 498 people sleeping rough in England on any single night - a 73% reduction on the 1998 baseline Reductions are due to a strong partnership working approach

6. “Places of Change” • New £70m phase 2 bid round just announced – closing date Feb 08. • £90million invested in around 178 projects in Phase 1 • Not just a housing pathway but Engagement, Education, Employment • Delivering a culture change to the sector - “Not more beds but better beds” • Real achievements: • Positive move on doubled • Numbers in employed doubled • Fall in exclusions and abandonment • New standards for the physical environment for h/less schemes Hostels will cease to be places of last resort, but instead will be centres of excellence and choice which positively change lives

7. Homelessness Acceptances – key successes • Progress • Homelessness acceptances down 18% on 2006 and 50% since 2004 • 15,960 acceptances (Apr- Jun 07) : lowest quarter since early 1980s • Continued downward trend of acceptances since 2003

8. Temporary Accommodation – key Successes 84,900 households in temporary Accommodation on 30 June 2007, 10 per cent lower than this time last year Continued downward trend since 2005 87 per cent of households in TA were in self contained accommodation On track to meet target to halve numbers (to 50 500) in temporary accommodation by 2010

9. Temporary Accommodation - LA priorities Temporary Accommodation Action Plans Supply and Demand Models Prevention Toolkit 2007 LA Survey – most effective activities to reduce Temporary Accommodation: Increased Prevention Improved RSL nomination arrangements Making use of private sector TA visiting programme to provide options advice Increasing percentage of lettings to homelessness Conversion of own stock TA

10. Setting the context for RSLs.The Housing Corporation Homelessness Strategy • Better partnership working • Sustainable and mixed communities • Preventing homelessness • Making better use of existing stock • Directing investment • Promoting good practice Set up the Homelessness Action Team

11. Who are we working with? National Homelessness Team- RSL Engagement In London: • Positive engagement with all the G15 largest RSLs, housing 1 in 10 Londoners • 2nd stage underway medium sized RSLs, BME, local “experts” and specialist associations Nationally: • Meeting National RSLs – Sanctuary. P4P etc • Focus on large cities – Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield etc will continue - with some real success • Currently developing a programme of work with RSLs in the South West - rural, area based plans

12. Key challenges and outcomes for the homelessness team • To achieve the 2010 temporary accommodation reduction target - TA reduction • To improve the knowledge base -Myth busting • To achieve an increased and sustained focus on homelessness in all housing sectors -Focus • To maintain and improve relationships within the housing sector -Relationships

13. Reduction in the numbers in temporary accommodation Develop homelessness action plans • that badge existing work, consider new initiatives and challenge outlier performance • Roll out jointly agree key performance measures to simplify plans and join up with other key partners • develop tailored thematic, LA or area based plans to include all participants in the sector

14. Myth busting Getting accurate facts and figures to inform discussions Challenge the myths around RSL performance • RSLs significantly add to the burden of homelessness • RSLs cherry pick tenant • RSLs don’t house homeless households • RSLs don’t have a central role to play

15. Evictions • Total London RSL’s Evictions = 1636 • Total stock = 340,614 • 0.48% of stock

16. Largest London RSLs lettings via nominations

17. Largest London RSLs lettings to stat. homeless

18. Developing relationships - breaking down the Barriers • Encourage mature, proactive working relationships between Local Authorities and RSLs by targeting resources in a way that strengthens local partnerships • Deliver Local Authority and sub regional homelessness strategies which underpin a co-ordinated approach

19. Focus on the bigger issues Working through partnerships to progress key areas of strategic interest e.g: • Effectively using the PRS for move on • Temporary to permanent schemes • Nominations and lettings – who do we house outside of noms; RSLs delivering Partners • Promoting the work of the RSL TA providers • Addressing illegal occupation and making better use of our existing stock

20. Promoting RSLs work Raise the profile of the RSL contribution to homelessness both locally, regionally and within Government Promote good practice and link practioners – send us your summary and details of the colleagues driving these projects. Hold workshops and attend homelessness events

21. Next steps • Support organisations to develop and deliver on their action plans over the next 12 months • Working with key stakeholders deliver the “bigger issues” • Develop support networks across the sector with our homelessness champions • Work with RSLs and LAs improving relationships through area planning

22. madeleine.jeffery@housingcorp.gsx.gov.ukMobile: 07798 588 752gerald.wild@housingcorp.gsx.gov.ukMobile: 07971 667 119