Comprehensive homelessness strategy desperately needed

The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has launched the final report from the Local Government Homelessness Commission (LGHC), a year-long initiative set up to investigate how councils can fulfil their obligation to prevent homelessness.

In the report, the LGHC argues that a comprehensive housing and homelessness strategy is desperately needed to address the underlying causes of homelessness and give councils the powers and resources they need to carry out their duties. Commissioners concluded that the recent dramatic rise in homelessness across the UK is a result of national policy failure, and that rough sleeping is just the tip of the iceberg.

While the LGHC welcomed the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act (2017), the report found that without significant strategic funding, the systems in place under the Act may result in an improved assessment process, but will not achieve its ultimate objectives.

Instead, sustainable and affordable housing, mental health support, addiction services, and other infrastructure are urgently needed to address the causes of homelessness. The report shows that current funding is spent unproductively and inefficiently.

Key recommendations from the report include: a sustainable housing and homelessness strategy, with adequate funding; local variation of housing allowance; the introduction of minimum three year tenancies for the private rented sector; and a homelessness prevention toolkit, designed around the needs of local government.

Peter Fleming, leader of Sevenoaks District Council and co-chair of the LGiU’s Homelessness Commission, said: “The timing of what has been an in-depth look at the current homelessness situation in this country couldn’t have been more appropriate, with the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act being felt across local government this was an opportunity to look at different solutions for what has become an intractable problem in many communities. The LGIU saw this as a valuable piece of work and has been instrumental in bringing different perspectives around the table to help produce the report and its recommendations”

Simon Blackburn, leader of Blackpool Council and Co-Chair of the LGiU’s Homelessness Commission, said: “A huge amount of work has gone in to this report, and I would like to thank the LGIU, and everyone who has presented evidence to the enquiry.  It is clear that Government needs to work with local authorities to ensure that the distribution of funding matches need, and that there is enough flex in systems to allow areas to respond to their housing challenges, which vary hugely across the country.”

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of LGiU, said: “Local authorities are tackling an ever growing homelessness crisis in our communities on a shoestring, with less and less money to do so. The Government can no longer expect local government to pick up the pieces.

“Councils shell out vast amounts of money to house people in expensive temporary accommodation or to meet skyrocketing private rents. Something has to give, and we argue that it should be the UK’s overly centralised system of governance. Our report calls for greater devolution of powers to build houses, to combine budgets and control and vary the welfare regime so that it better reflects local housing markets. We are proud to be supporting the Local Government Homelessness Commission’s work and look forward to continuing to work with colleagues across local government to ensure these recommendations are implemented.”

Martin Tett, the Local Government Association’s Housing spokesman, said: "Every instance of homelessness is an individual tragedy and councils are determined to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place and support families affected. With homelessness services facing a funding gap of more than £100 million in 2019/20 and £421 million by 2024/25, the government needs to use its upcoming Spending Review to sustainably fund homelessness prevention.

“Many councils have updated their homelessness prevention strategies since the Homelessness Reduction Act was introduced last year. But a lack of affordable housing has left many struggling to cope with rising number of people coming to them for help and having to place more families and households into temporary and emergency accommodation as a result.

“This is why councils need to be able to keep 100 per cent of Right to Buy receipts to re-invest in genuinely affordable homes, set discounts locally, and government needs to adapt welfare reforms to protect families at risk of homelessness and prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.”