UK Charities Warn Of Cliff Edge As Ministers Stall On Housing Funds

Housing campaigners are warning that a widely praised initiative to get people off the streets in the long term faces “catastrophic disruption” if the chancellor Rishi Sunak does not renew funding. Charities including Crisis, St Mungo’s and Homeless Link have written to the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, and the chancellor demanding the government extends finance for three pilots of Housing First in the West Midlands, Liverpool and Greater Manchester. The initiative, which gained traction in the US and involves giving homeless people homes before trying to tackle addiction or mental health problems, is being developed in England through three regional pilots. Read more on the Guardian website.

UK charities warn of cliff edge as ministers stall on housing funds | Housing | The Guardian 

Charities Call On Government To Fix £1bn Hole In Homelessness Services

Nine years of government cuts have left local services for single homeless people with a £1bn a year funding gap, according to research commissioned by St Mungo’s and Homeless Link. The charities are warning that cuts to council budgets are leaving increasing numbers of people at risk on the streets, and calling on the Government to act now to make up the funding shortfall - or face missing its target of ending rough sleeping by 2027. The report, Local Authority Spending on Homelessness,  shows that council spending on support for single homeless people in England fell by 53% between 2008-9 and 2017-18, almost £1bn less a year compared to ten years ago. Download the report from the St Mungos website.

https://www.mungos.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WPIE-Research-summary-briefing.pdf?x74044

Rise In Homelessness Not Result Of Our Policies, Says Housing Secretary

Rising rough sleeping in Britain is not the result of government policy but is being driven by factors including the spread of psychoactive drugs such as spice, growth in non-UK nationals on the streets and family breakdown, the housing secretary, James Brokenshire, has claimed. The number of people sleeping rough has more than doubled since 2010 to 4,751 according to the government’s own figures. Brokenshire said “I see it as a combination of concerning elements in terms of addiction, family breakdown issues. The thing that struck me over recent months in speaking to some of the LGBT charities in terms of young people, because of their sexuality, being thrown out of home.” Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/18/rising-homelessness-is-not-due-to-tory-policies-says-james-brokenshire

Vulnerable Tenants Stranded As Charity Landlord Evicts Them So It Can Build Homes

An education charity has left tenants in its housing stock stranded after handing them eviction notices so it can build more homes. The Dame Alice Owen’s Foundation is adding a fourth storey to two blocks. As a result, those living on the first and second floors have been told to pack their bags. Some who have been there for decades have assured tenancies, and are moving to empty ground floor flats while work is carried out above them. But others, who don’t have the protection of an assured tenancy, have been told to find somewhere else to live. Read more on the Islington Gazette website.

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/vulnerable-islington-tenants-stranded-as-charity-landlord-evicts-them-so-it-can-build-homes-1-5690501

Charities Respond To Record Number Of Alerts Over Rough Sleeping

Homelessness outreach teams have helped more than 1,000 people facing nights sleeping outside in subzero temperatures in England and Wales, after alerts from the public. Charities said record numbers of referrals had been received over the past three days via the StreetLink phone app – which enables the public to help street sleepers – reflecting heightened concern as temperatures have dropped. Hundreds of drivers stranded on M80 as icy spell continues – as it happened. With much of the UK blanketed in snow, many local authorities kept emergency night shelters open, while homeless charities reported a surge in public donations of food, clothes and sleeping bags. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/28/charities-respond-to-record-number-of-alerts-over-rough-sleeping

Countryside Faces ‘Fuel Poverty’ Crisis

People living in rural areas have been left behind by government drives to make homes more energy efficient, charities have warned. This leaves them vulnerable to rising energy prices. Research by National Energy Action and the Campaign to Protect Rural England shows that rural areas are five years behind urban areas in the energy efficiency of homes – and are paying nearly 55% more for their fuel as a result. The charities have called on ministers to establish new energy-efficiency initiatives to help people reduce their energy consumption, particularly those in fuel poverty, who cannot afford to heat their homes. Read more on the Observer website.

Investment Fund Launched For Homelessness Sector

Homeless Link, the national membership organisation for homelessness and supported housing agencies, is launching a £4.5m Social Investment Fund for charities and social enterprises across England working to reduce homelessness. The programme is the first of its kind exclusively for the homelessness sector and one of very few sector-specific funds in existence. Homeless Link will invest the money over the next three years, offering homelessness organisations unsecured loans of amounts between £25,000 and £150,000. The aim of the fund is to test and learn where social investment can be most effectively used alongside other forms of funding to improve outcomes. Read more on the Homeless Link website.

Charity Calls For Major Changes To Bedroom Tax

The Liverpool City Region Child Poverty and Life Chances Commission is calling on the government to initiate a major overhaul of the Bedroom Tax. The commission’s chairman, Frank Field, has set out evidence gained by the commission on the impact of the Bedroom Tax on poorer families with children:

·         112 families with children (83% of respondents to the commission’s survey) have cut back on their food budgets

·         96 families with children (71%) have cut back on essential household bills

·         67 families with children (49%) have resorted to payday loans

·         115 families with children (85%) are not currently looking to move home, due to a lack of suitable alternative accommodation into which they could move

Read more on 24housing.

Supported Housing: Sector Warns Of Uncertain Future

Housing bodies and charities have warned of an uncertain future for supported housing, following the government’s announcement of a funding plan. David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, led the warnings – saying he is “not confident” in the new system which will see funds passed to councils. Mencap and St Mungo’s also reacted cautiously to the plans. The sector had been campaigning to change the government’s policy to restrict housing benefit in supported housing to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates available to private tenants. Damian Green, the work and pensions secretary, announced the government will press ahead with applying the rates, however it will distribute a ‘top-up’ fund to local authorities.  Read more on Inside Housing.

Latest Data On Empty Homes

The latest data from charity Empty Homes, suggests there has been a 1.1% decrease in empty homes in the last year. The official data is derived as a side product from council tax returns, rather than from a targeted exercise aimed specifically at understanding all empty property and the charity urges people to understand what is and is not included. The numbers do not include, for example, properties that are in such a state of dereliction that they are not counted as dwellings for council tax purposes. In other cases, local authorities will simply not know a property is empty, for example if the outgoing occupants did not tell them. Read more on the Empty Homes website.

Charity Condemns Councils’ £30m In ‘Sweeteners’ To Private Landlords

An anti-poverty charity has attacked the millions of pounds in sweeteners paid by cash-strapped London boroughs to private landlords to persuade them to rent to council tenants. It has been revealed that officials paid nearly £30 million to landlords since 2012. The “one-off financial incentives” were revealed in Freedom of Information responses from 33 London local authorities to the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust. The charity said it showed boroughs were deploying “ever more desperate means to entice private landlords” as authorities compete with each other to secure accommodation. Landlords want the extra money over fears that some council tenants were more likely to default on their rent. Read more on the Evening Standard website.

Struggling Generation Rent Is Being Driven Into Debt

With a soaring number of tenants falling into financial difficulties as they battle increasing rental costs, charities have identified a “worrying trend” of escalating debt for those who are frozen out of home ownership. Debt charity StepChange says the number of renters contacting it with difficulty paying off debt in the four years to 2015 more than doubled, rising by 139%. The average sum owed is £10,829 each, made up of unsecured debts including overdrafts, loans, credit card debt and rent arrears – which have reached an all-time high of £922. Figures from separate findings by charity National Debtline show that the number of people seeking help with rent arrears doubled, to 14% of callers, over the past five years. Read more on the Observer website.

Historic Trusts Expect RTB Exemption Under Deal

Housing associations established by Victorian philanthropists expect their historic charitable homes to be exempt from the Right to Buy extension, under a proposed voluntary deal. Four landlords, which hold thousands of homes built without any government grant, had been outraged at plans to sell them to tenants at a discount. It is understood the landlords – Affinity Sutton, Southern, Peabody and Guinness – have received assurances that these properties would be exempted under a voluntary deal proposed by the National Housing Federation (NHF). The proposed deal would see tenants of these homes offered a portable discount to buy a home on the open market instead, it is believed. Read more on Inside Housing.

Housing Crisis Has 'Devastating' Impact On Disabled People, Warns Charity

A charity has highlighted the "devastating" impact that the housing crisis is having on disabled people in England, with some being forced to choose between struggling in an unsuitable property or racking up huge debts attempting to adapt it. Muscular Dystrophy UK, which compiled the report, said there is an alarming lack of accessible housing in many parts of the country. It found that some councils in England have more than 100 households waiting for wheelchair-accessible homes. The charity said that a lack of wheelchair-accessible housing is having a "devastating impact on households". Read more on the Express & Star website.

Surge in Homelessness among Young People across the UK

The numbers of homeless young people depending on councils and charities to put a roof over their heads, is three times greater than those officially recorded by the British government. According to a study by Cambridge University’s Centre for Housing and Planning Research, 83,000 homeless young people had to rely on charities and councils for shelter in 2013-14—far exceeding the 26,852 recorded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. At any one time, around 35,000 young people live in homeless accommodation across the UK. Most of the UK’s homeless young people (63,976) were located in England. Of these, 17,711 are located in the largest city, London. In Wales 4,133 were reported, 12,107 in Scotland and 3,025 in Northern Ireland. Download the report from the CHPR website.

Historic Trust Landlords Seek Legal Advice on Right to Buy

Four housing associations established by Victorian philanthropists have taken legal advice on the government’s proposed Right to Buy extension and have ‘not ruled out a challenge’.  Guinness Housing, the Peabody Trust, Affinity Sutton and Southern Housing met recently with top housing lawyers to understand how the policy would affect their historic charitable stock. The four organisations, which together own around 180,000 homes, were all established by philanthropists who invested their fortunes to help house poor residents of London. The organisations have specific governing instruments, with Peabody incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1948 stipulating that it should work solely in London for the relief of poverty. Read more on Inside Housing.

Charity Hits Out At Report on Housing Benefit Payments

A charity has hit back after being placed on a list of "housing benefit millionaires". A report in a national newspaper claimed to expose "people who receive hundreds of millions" in housing benefit every year, using data from 324 councils across the country. The Plymouth list was topped by the Salvation Army, but the charity says the figures are misleading and insists it uses the money to help people. A spokeswoman said: "We work with some of the most vulnerable people in the local community and help them to get back on their feet. Read more on the Plymouth Herald website.

Financial Plight of Social Housing Tenants Revealed

More than 80% of social housing tenants have seen no sign of their financial situation improving despite an upturn in the economy, according to new research. And the survey, from the national charity Turn2us, found that a quarter (26%) had seen their debts increase over the last 12 months. The research, released to coincide with Benefits Awareness Month, also examined the financial struggles of households that experienced the onset of illness or disability, a change in their working hours, childbirth or family breakdown in the last year.  Read more on 24dash.

HAs Say They'll Sue If Tories Force Them To Sell Off Homes Under Right-To-Buy

Housing associations set to be crippled by Conservative plans to extend the right-to-buy policy will launch a legal challenge against the move. The Tories have announced that they will force housing associations to sell off homes at a fraction of their value despite warnings that the policy could cause the not-for-profits to go bankrupt. Because housing associations are private not-for-profit businesses, forcing the sale of homes at below market value could potentially breach Article 1, Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which gives everyone the “right to the peaceful enjoyment of one’s possessions”. Industry sources also say charity law would have to be changed to accommodate the move because charities, including many housing associations, are generally prohibited from selling off their assets at below market value. Read more on the Independent website.

Homelessness Services Maintaining Essential Help Despite Challenges

A survey of front-line homeless services in England indicates that, despite funding challenges, charities are maintaining essential support for thousands of single adults facing homelessness. The research indicates that 4 in 10 services saw their funding decrease in 2013. Despite this, 8 in 10 of those who had had their funding reduced reported being able to support the same number of clients. Overall, the homeless sector also reported improved outcomes for those they support. 34% of clients are engaged in education or training, up from 23% in 2013. While 14% of clients were supported into paid employment, up from 10% in 2013. Read more on the Homeless Link website.