Social Landlords Face Huge Admin Burden Over Universal Credit Issue

Social landlords have warned they face a huge administrative burden next year unless the government implements reforms to the way rent changes for tenants claiming Universal Credit are processed. Major housing associations could incur extra costs and see resources diverted from mitigating the impacts of Universal Credit, unless the government makes swift changes to the way rent changes are recorded, and allows them to update information in bulk. The DWP told housing associations in February that it would enable them to record rent cost changes in bulk on behalf of tenants claiming the new benefit system from April, but these changes were never put in place. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/social-landlords-face-huge-admin-burden-over-universal-credit-issue-62638

Sick Homeless People Overlooked By Health Services

Highly vulnerable and chronically unwell homeless people are being overlooked by England's local authorities' health plans and face barriers to accessing even basic healthcare, says a new report. The report, ‘Needs to Know', by St Mungo's Broadway and Homeless Link, found that, despite 73% of homeless people having a physical health problem, some of the most vulnerable are being left out of the planning and commissioning of healthcare services.  The report found that about two thirds (64%) of JSNAs made no mention of single homeless people and seven (14%) made no mention of homeless people at all. Read more on the St Mungo’s website.

Council Puts £10m into Fund for Homeless Families

A local authority is to invest in a property fund that is designed to own and manage accommodation for homeless people stuck on waiting lists. Croydon Council’s initial investment will be £10 million in Real Lettings, which has been set up in partnership by fund manager Resonance and homelessness charity Broadway. Real Lettings is designed to produce a return for investors that comes from an increase in property values and rental income. Real Lettings is expected to secure 94 one and two-bedroom properties in London for Croydon Council over the coming months. The investment is part of the council’s 2014/15 capital budget. Read more on Inside Housing.

Figures Show Half of Rough Sleepers Don't Seek Help

Half of rough sleepers do not seek help before leaving their home, new figures have shown. A survey by Homeless Link showed 49 per cent of people sleeping rough for the first time do not ask for assistance before they leave their last settled home. The poll of rough sleepers came as the umbrella body published its first report into Streetlink, a government-funded hotline and website designed to link homeless people with local services. Since Streetlink was set up by Homeless Link and Broadway last December, there have been 10,988 alerts to local services, with 4,161 people found and in contact with services. Download a copy of the report from the Homeless Link website.

Homeless People Have Strong Motivation to Work

Homeless people are strongly motivated to work despite challenges to sustaining employment including being financially worse off than when on benefits, a report has found. The study from London-based homelessness charity Broadway shows that some homeless people who work are receiving benefits they are entitled to but this does not cover the costs of working.

Download a copy of the report from the Broadway website.

Number of Rough Sleepers in London Leaps 26%

The total number of rough sleepers in the capital went up 26 per cent in the last two months from the same period the year before, according to government-endorsed figures. Homelessness charity Broadway’s CHAIN bi-monthly report shows 1,920 people were sleeping rough in London in September and October this year.  The number of new rough sleepers in London went up 31 per cent in the same period compared with September and October 2011. The proportion of people staying on the streets for a second night went down, with 725 (80 per cent) spending one night on the streets this year in the two months and 507 (74 per cent) spending one night on the streets in the period last year. Read more on Inside Housing.

Investment Fund Looks To Build Real Future for Homeless

Homelessness charity Broadway has launched a social impact investment fund which aims to provide housing for vulnerable people while generating an income for investors.  The Real Lettings Property Fund aims to raise £15m to £20m in the first tranche, which will be used to buy up to 100 one- and two-bedroom flats in London in the first year that can be let to the Broadway subsidiary Real Lettings. This specialist lettings agency rents property from private sector landlords to sublet to tenants who are moving on from a hostel or temporary accommodation, and who are vulnerable to homelessness.  Read more on the Guardian website.

PCC to Investigate Daily Mail’s Homelessness Claims

The Press Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into an article on the Daily Mail website that suggested homelessness hostels are ‘packed full of immigrants’.  The PCC’s decision was a result of five complaints, one of which was from a homelessness charity boss who said that novelist and ex-army officer Allan Mallinson’s claims on the national newspaper’s website last month could lead to racial discrimination. Mr Mallinson suggested homelessness hostels were ‘full of Somalis and Poles’ and ex-servicemen were ‘turned away’.  ‘How [have we] arrived at a situation where our charities are being overwhelmed by immigrant need to the exclusion of our own, as in the case of Stephen [a homeless man featured in the blog who had been in the Royal Artillery for 17 years]?’, the article asked. The PCC confirmed it received the complaints on grounds of ‘accuracy’ and ‘discrimination’ - articles 1 and 12 of the editors’ code of practice. Forty homelessness organisations signed a letter to Daily Mail Online refuting the blog’s claims. The blog stated 25 per cent of London’s rough sleepers had a services background. Homelessness charity Broadway’s government endorsed latest statistics put this figure at 4 per cent.  Read more on Inside Housing.

Rough Sleeping Up By Nearly A Third in the Capital

Nearly 1,500 people slept rough in London in the last two months, a 31% increase on the same period last year.  The official figures, released by homeless charity Broadway yesterday, also reveal a 23% rise in the number of people ‘living on the streets', that's sleeping rough over an extended period of time.  These statistics are on top of figures from earlier in the year which revealed a 20% increase in the number of people accepted by their councils as homeless and entitled to housing in London, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Thousands more will be getting by in hidden homeless situations, sleeping on the floors of friends and family, in squats or other insecure accommodation.  Independent research for Crisis predicts that the worst is yet to come as the continuing economic downturn combined with the Coalition Government's radical reforms and weakening of the welfare state will leave many more people facing homelessness.  Read more on the Crisis website.

Survey Finds Bullying in Hostels

Physical violence and sexual exploitation are among the forms of bullying happening in hostels and supported housing, research has warned. Homelessness charity Broadway carried out the study after a survey found service users thought bullying and harassment were a problem in residential services. The report states: ‘Bullying and harassment can take very subtle forms: examples given included “jokey” comments, talking loudly while people used the telephone, or repeatedly moving someone’s possessions in the communal area. ‘Services appear to be vulnerable to the effects of just one or two clients – one “bully” entering the service can affect a large number of clients.’ Read the full story on Inside Housing.