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The Government’s current five-year plan for housing, Sustainable Communities: Homes For All (January 2005) set the ambitious target to halve the number of households living in temporary accommodation by 2010. Its subsequent publication, Sustainable Communities: Settled Homes; Changing Lives (March 2005) identifies how this will be achieved, and how through the modernisation of services provided by local authorities, more opportunities must be provided for people at risk of homelessness:
Young people become homeless for a wide range of reasons, and in November 2006, the Government announced a package of measures to tackle youth homelessness by:
The Housing Corporation’s homelessness strategy “Tackling Homelessness” (November 2006) recognises the critical role that Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) have in helping local authorities tackle and prevent homelessness. The strategy sets out how the Housing Corporation expects them to build on the important role that they already have through:
The need to provide high quality housing for people who are unable to access market housing is also emphasised within Planning Policy Statement 3 (November 2006) which sets out the national planning policy framework for delivering the Government’s housing objectives.
The Government’s Housing Green Paper Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable (July 2007) calls for three million new homes by 2020, and pledges to build 180,000 new affordable homes in the next three years, rising to an annual rate of 70,000 from 2010.
More affordable housing is needed not only to meet newly arising housing need, but also to address the poor conditions that many households currently live in. An estimated 87,000 households nationally still live in temporary accommodation, which includes some 4,000 households in bed and breakfast. Approximately 526,000 households live in overcrowded conditions, of which 216,000 are in the affordable housing sector.
The Homelessness Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to:
The Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities (July 2006) provides guidance for local authorities and social services departments on how to apply the legislation. It also provides guidance on developing homelessness strategies, emphasising the need to understand the causes of homelessness across all groups, to develop effective preventative measures and to work at county/sub-regional level where possible.
Further information on the legislation and guidance can be obtained from the Communities and Local Government (CLG) web site – http://www.communities.gov.uk/
The prevention of homelessness is a key priority in The South East Regional Housing Strategy (March 2008). Specifically:
The South East Homelessness Forum has been established to ensure that a consistent approach is taken across the South East region to tackling homelessness. Supported by the Regional Housing Board, East Kent is represented on the forum by Thanet District Council.
Also significant to the regional perspective is the South East Plan. published in late 2008, it provides a statutory regional framework for development to 2026. The substantial need for more affordable housing in the region is recognised within an overall target to ensure that 25% of all new homes will be social rented accommodation and an additional 10% will be affordable housing, provided as shared ownership, low cost ownership and sub market rent. The plan recognises that the proportion on one person households is likely to increase over the plan period.
The Local Government Act 2003 places a statutory duty on all local authorities to produce forward-looking housing strategies. Local authorities have a wide and varied strategic housing responsibility, and the need to prevent and tackle homelessness is a key priority in each of the East Kent housing strategies. Full copies of the housing strategies can be found on each authority’s website.[8]
The Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a partnership between Kent County Council and the county’s twelve district, borough and city Councils. It identifies the priorities for the county and its aim is to drive the delivery of these priorities, making best use of public services and allowing for local solutions that reflect local circumstances.
The first LAA was established in 2005, the second one (KA2) became effective in 2008. It has a significant part to play in the reduction of homelessness, through a wide range of priorities and targets that address improved health care and wellbeing, education, safer communities and the provision of new housing.
The East Kent authorities have a long and successful history of joint working and the partnership is recognised as a model of good practice by both the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) and the CLG.
Established in 2001 to develop links with statutory agencies and the Third Sector, and to develop joint working to tackle homelessness. The forum has recently undergone a review and a copy of its revised Terms of Reference will be found at appendix 1. Individual sub-groups, such as the Homelessness Strategy Review group, are established to take forward specific pieces of work, and report back to the main Forum.
Through the Forum, the East Kent authorities work closely with the RSLs that have property in East Kent. In October 2006 a Preferred Partner Protocol was launched with the aim of achieving a level of consistency and good practice across the sub-region in relation to the development of new affordable housing. Commended by the Housing Corporation, the protocol identifies a number of preferred development partners who were selected not only on the basis of their ability to develop new affordable housing, but also to positively contribute to the reduction and prevention of homelessness.
A strategic partnership between health, housing, probation and social care. Its main responsibilities are to promote inter-agency working, and to ensure that district housing strategies inform, and are influenced by, the work of partner organisations and other inter-agency plans. The close links between housing and health are well recognised, and a key objective for the Board is to improve the health care arrangements for homeless people. This is being taken forward in the Board’s 2008 action plan and the East Kent authorities are fully committed to achieving these objectives.
A Kent-wide group with membership drawn from the local authority and RSL sectors, as well as the Supporting People Team, Kent Adult Social Service and GOSE.
A sub-group of the Kent Housing Group, this group meet to share good practice and develop new initiatives to tackle homelessness. It is currently developing a schools education programme to raise the awareness of homelessness amongst children in schools.
Also a sub-group of the Kent Housing Group, this group focuses on sharing and developing good practice to support the local authorities strategic and enabling functions.
Foreword
Executive Summary
Strategic Context
East Kent Perspective
Achievements and Progress
Reviewing the Service
Strategic Priorities
Resources and Funding
Monitoring and Reviewing
Action Plan
Appendix 1 - East Kent Homelessness Forum
Appendix 2 - homelessness and priority needs categories
Appendix 3 - Service user consultation feedback summary
Appendix 4 - partners
Appendix 5 - Performance
Appendix 6 - Glossary of terms
Appendix 7 - anticipated funding and expenditure
Appendix 8 - local authority contact details
E-mail:
housing@thanet.gov.uk
Tel: 01843 577218