Agenda item

The report provides an update for members of the service provision for residents who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, in Northumberland providing an outline of the key data and the services available for people sleeping rough.

Philip Soderquest, Service Director - Housing and Public Protection, outlined the report which updated members of the service provision for residents who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, in Northumberland including key data and the services available for people sleeping rough.  (A copy of the report is enclosed with the signed minutes).

He explained the duties placed on local authorities by the Homelessness Act 2002 and the Homelessness reduction Act 2017.  Consultation earlier in 2022 had resulted in a new draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022 – 2024 which identified 5 priorities to meet the Government’s ambition that no one should be sleeping rough by 2027.  The strategy was to be presented to Cabinet for approval and adoption.

The Northumberland Domestic Abuse Strategy 2021-2024 implemented recommendations of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 with regard to statutory duties for safe accommodation and support.

The committee were informed that there had been an increase in the number of applications to the Homelessness and Housing Options Service from 767 in 2020/21 to 5,408 in 2021/22 due to a change in the way cases were recorded on the system.  The report provided a breakdown of the reasons for homelessness and current Council provision for temporary and emergency accommodation.

In answers to questions, he provided the following information:

·        Officers were working with colleagues in planning to arrest the numbers of properties changing use from residential to Airbnb accommodation which was more financially lucrative to owners but was impacting on the number of residential properties available for let.  They were working with partners to increase housing supply, including building new Council properties, although costs had significantly increased in recent years and impacted on what could be delivered.

·        Approximately 40-50 council properties were sold each year under Right to Buy legislation.

·        The decent homes standard had applied to properties in the social rented sector since the early 2000’s.  This was under review and could be required to be met by private rented properties in the future, which could further impact on housing supply.

·        Often cases involved residents with complex needs and therefore the service worked in partnership with organisations such as Changing Lives to ensure that tenancies were sustainable.

·        They had an excellent working relationship with Advance Northumberland who had made brought back a number of properties back into residential use with hopefully more available in the future.

·        Eviction was treated as the last option by Housing providers, with the Homelessness and Housing Options Service working with all services to prevent homelessness.  Length of occupation of temporary accommodation varied but residents should be moved to other accommodation.

·        The Council would be unable to provide further accommodation to tenants if possession had been sought due to rent arrears, until such time as any arrears had been cleared.  To assist those seeking housing in the private rented sector, the council could, in specific circumstances assist by offering “paper” bond under the rent deposit guarantee scheme to other landlords.

·        The Council’s duty to provide accommodation depended on whether a tenant had become intentionally or unintentionally homeless.  If this was a consequence of their own anti-social behaviour, they would be provided with advice.

·        There had been 5 successful placements for rough sleepers since May 2021.  There had been 20 referrals but not all accepted assistance as it was a lifestyle choice for some individuals.

·        An assessment of an individual’s needs was undertaken for each case of homelessness with involvement by the police and other agencies if identified at risk.

The Director and the Homelessness and Housing Options Service were thanked for the assistance given to complex and demanding cases.

RESOLVED that the contents of the report be noted.