Agenda item

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF HOUSING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION

 

To consider the proposals regarding the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

RESOLVED:

 

(1)     That the Controls, Risk and Performance Manager be requested to include Homelessness Performance Indicators in reports to this Committee on a regular basis;

 

(2)     That the recommendations contained in the report entitled Proposals regarding the Implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 be supported.

 

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider the report entitled Proposals regarding the Implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

The Strategic Housing Manager presented the report of the Head of Housing and Public Protection Service entitled Proposals Regarding the Implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

 

The Strategic Housing Manager advised that there were three main areas included in the report being: new legislation, the funding that accompanies the legislation and the proposals for use of that funding.

 

New Legislation

·                Section 7 of the report outlined the provisions of the Act;

·                This represented the biggest change in homelessness provision for 40 years;

·                The Act required a wider focus which would impact on the local service;

·                More in-depth assessment of every household coming through the door;

·                A requirement to look at a wider cohort of people ie single homeless people;

·                A lot of intensive casework will be required before being able to assess whether someone meets the homelessness requirements.

·                Local authorities such as police, social services and hospitals will be required to refer people to the Council;

·                The culture would change from a formal and legal relationship to a more collaborative one.

           

Funding

·                Two types of funding accompanied the legislation being the Flexible  Homelessness Support Grant and new burdens funding;

·                Both funding streams were for two years only.

 

Proposals

·                There was a real risk regarding the Council’s ability to meet the new responsibilities due to the volume and the depth of work involved. As a result this had been entered on the Corporate Risk Register

·                It was proposed to employ two new members of staff and consider funding under the market forces policy to retain and attract good quality members of staff to meet the new burdens;

·                This risk was heightened as all Councils would be seeking staff at the same time in order to meet the requirements of the Act;

·                Rough sleeping was increasing in North Herts and this was unlikely to improve quickly in the current climate;

·                It will be a challenge to meet the single homelessness demand;

·                The Rough sleeping project was designed to work with people to look at the root issues, get people off of the street and help sustain them.

 

Members queried why shared service arrangement had been suspended and whether there were plans to undertake joint or partnership working in the future.

 

The Strategic Housing Manager advised that the shared service arrangement were historic arrangements regarding a geographical area that had ceased to be viable some years ago and the funds set aside for this purpose would be better utilised on an area that had direct impact on homeless households.

 

The Council would be looking to more joint working in the future, as this was a facet of the legislation

 

Members considered whether and how the success of the proposals would be monitored and suggested that this Committee should monitor performance indicators relating to homelessness on a regular basis.

 

They queried whether the Council paid the partnership agencies in respect of their work with homeless people and how many staff would be employed for the proposed increase in budget and whether these would necessarily be experienced staff, or if staff at risk could be retrained.

 

The Strategic Housing Manager advised that the Council currently paid the Sanctuary in Hitchin approximately £8,000 per year and, due to increasing problems, a rough sleeper programme was being launched that would include intensive outreach work.

 

In respect of staffing the figure covered two additional staff for two years plus market forces payments to recruit and retain staff.

 

The Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Services advised that one of the biggest issues was to recruit and retain staff, particularly as every authority in the Country would be recruiting staff to deal with the increase in work, particularly as it was expected that the number of homelessness applications would more than double.

 

The Head of Housing and Public Protection Service advised that there had been a high turnover of staff in the department and that replacement staff had been employed from other service areas. Untrained staff would not be disadvantaged as, with the new legislation came a new philosophy moving away from the current gate-keeping model to a guiding/pathway model. Despite this it was necessary to employ some people with experience and retain existing staff as well. It should be noted that homelessness was an emotionally burdensome job and therefore staff didn’t tend to stay too long.

 

Members asked whether authorities would be working together to find solutions for homeless people across boundaries.

 

The Strategic Housing Manager advised that the private rented sector was a challenge for both resources and affordability, but this was an issue to be considered. One if the two posts would focus on building relationships in the private sector.

 

The Head of Housing and Public Protection Service advised that there could be issues with moving people within authorities in that the authority where the person seeks help takes responsibility and account has to be taken of opposing forces, where other authorities move people into the NHDC area.

 

Members asked for some clarification regarding the costs of homelessness provision at present and the expected costs in the future and how the additional funding might be spent.

 

The Head of Housing and Public Protection Service drew attention to Paragraph 8.2.1 and advised that the base budget figure for housing and homelessness was £175,000, although the Council outweighed this commitment several times over. In respect of the new duties there was very little certainty either regarding the funding amount or length of time that it would be available. The report therefore contained the best estimate, based on advice, of what would be offered, however this would be changed if it were found that something was not working.

 

It could be that the Committee invites us back to report on how things were going.

 

The Strategic Housing Manager advised that currently the Council received funding through DWP for which they regularly reviewed arrangements to help maintain people in homes and consider flexible rent arrangements with landlords. The aim was to formalise the arrangements from 1 April 2018.

 

The Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Services advised that the Council had been undertaking far more work to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place and it was important that Members realise that this work was human resource intensive.

 

Members asked whether work was undertaken to help enhance credit risk and/or act as guarantors to private landlords.

 

The Strategic Housing Manager advised that 66 percent of buy to let landlords were not able to rent in this sector as their lender would not let them and/or their insurance would cost more.

 

This legislation did not address help with additional properties to rent or help people deal with life challenges.

 

They had looked at payment of 6 months rent up front and claiming it back through housing benefit and were looking at putting guarantees in place. There were quite a small number of properties available and housing someone was a challenge.

 

Members suggested that many of the referrals in future would be through the court system and asked how these would be picked up and queried how single people might be helped when most accommodation in the area was family orientated.

 

The Head of Housing and Public Protection Service advised that the team already worked with offenders to find accommodation.

 

In respect of working with single people the aim was to work with them to prevent homelessness in the first place.

 

Different options would need to be looked at for single people such as lodgings or HMOs, although a lot of landlords had moved away from providing HMOs.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)     That the Controls, Risk and Performance Manager be requested to include Homelessness Performance Indicators in reports to this Committee on a regular basis;

 

(2)     That the recommendations contained in the report entitled Proposals regarding the Implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 be supported.

 

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider the report entitled Proposals regarding the Implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 prior to consideration by Cabinet.