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Homelessness – What’s happening in Northern Ireland?

Homelessness – What’s happening in Northern Ireland?. Everything at once! ( and not a lot of it good). The Three Main Events. Homelessness Strategy for NI 2012 -2017. Housing Strategy for NI 2012-2017. Housing Related Support Strategy 2012-2015. Homelessness Strategy - Objectives.

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Homelessness – What’s happening in Northern Ireland?

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  1. Homelessness – What’s happening in Northern Ireland? Everything at once! ( and not a lot of it good)

  2. The Three Main Events Homelessness Strategy for NI 2012 -2017 Housing Strategy for NI 2012-2017 Housing Related Support Strategy 2012-2015

  3. Homelessness Strategy - Objectives To place homelessness prevention at the forefront of service delivery To reduce the length of time households & individuals experience homelessness by improving access to affordable housing To improve services to vulnerable households and individuals To remove the need to sleep rough

  4. Housing Strategy - Themes Ensuring access to decent, affordable sustainable homes across all tenures Meeting housing needs and supporting the most vulnerable Driving regeneration and sustaining communities through housing Housing and Welfare Reform Getting the structures right

  5. Housing Related Support Commissioning Quality and outcomes Drive efficiency and value for money Early intervention Client involvement and personalisation Accessing and exiting services

  6. And the rest.... Review of the NI Housing Executive Review of Temporary Accommodation Review of Social Housing Allocation Review of the Administration of Supporting People Review of Housing Associations

  7. Homelessness Very little overt mention of Supported Temp. Accommodation Possibility of most of SP funding transferring to Health Introduction of competitive tendering for SP funding Move towards floating support and the re-modelling of hostels Strategic function moving to DSD away from NIHE Homelessness Strategy not integrated into the Housing strategy Any new allocation policy for social housing likely to disadvantage singles

  8. The Elephant in the Room Excess Payment Award Under-occupation in Social Housing 7,000 households 32,000 applicable households LHA drop to 30th percentile 53,000 households, with approx 30,000 new applicants per annum Non-dependent deductions 3,500 Benefit Cap 3,000 claimants SAR 5,300 claimants January 2012, 3,000 new claims p.a.

  9. The housing market Social housing 90% of social housing stock in single identity estates 119,000 homes 20% of stock in PRS 84 HMOs in rural NI 5% of stock 8,400 HMOs 1 bedroom across all tenures 70% for students 15.2% of stock 2 bedrooms across all tenures

  10. continued Banks not lending House prices continue to fall increased competition for PRS and no need to reduce rents £6.8m DHP to cover £24m shortfall in just SAR &under-occupation which are current priorities. 80% of HB paid directly to landlords in both sectors DHP potentially to be subsumed into new Social Fund. No mention of ring-fencing housing costs Homeless presentations up 21% in 1st quarter 2012/13- surprise!

  11. The overall picture 24% of workers in NI below the living wage of £7.20 per hour. Highest in UK 12% households do not have bank account which allows money to be paid in or DDs to be paid out. 60% population have IT access. Lowest rate among unemployed 36% of social tenants have NO bank account 32,500 households Lowest rate of broadband coverage in the UK Estimated NI will take 10 more yearsto come out of recession 1600 public sector jobs to go due to Universal Credit

  12. continued 60% of tenants knew nothing of LHA changes at all, until they were informed of a drop in their entitlement 46% of private landlords were unaware of the changes to LHA after it was introduced WR Bill aiming for Royal Assent March 2013 No tenants in social housing have been formally made aware of the change in HB for under-occupation Under-occupation to be implemented April 2013

  13. A little good news.. Universal credit delayed for 6 months Direct payment of housing costs to landlords to continue Consideration of 6 month delay in implementing Under-occupation Split payments in households Fortnightly payments of universal credit May chuck it completely!

  14. The disconnect Very little acknowledgement of the impact of WR on the new Strategies – or even mature reflection Dependency on the PRS in a time of housing ‘bust’ Rhetoric of affordability as unemployment rises, there is no more work or better paid work – or even a work programme for NI Severely restricted budgets, ideological change and the prevention agenda

  15. Likely consequences Homelessness will increase Housing policy in NI will be adapted to fit Westminster legislation Temporary accommodation will change in form and function New vision for the purpose of social housing Policy development likely to ‘follow the money’

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