BRISTOL CITY COUNCILHOUSING OPTIONS & ADVICE SERVICE

Introductions

Housing situation in Bristol

Housing Options & Advice Services The Hub Homeless Prevention & Temporary

Accommodation Housing Access Team Single Homelessness and Rough

Sleeping Welfare Rights & Money Advice Service

Housing situation in Bristol

Population of Bristol How many council

properties How many do we

sell each year How many new RSL

properties built each year

Net loss p.a.

Housing situation in Bristol How many people on

the waiting list How many are new

applicants How many homeless

applicants p.a. How many acceptances

p.a. What are most common

reasons for homelessness

Homelessness Prevention and Accommodation Team Team Structure Functions and objectives Reducing B&B use & developing better

alternatives Roles of the team Prevention work Accessing private sector

accommodation

Team Objectives

Bring empty homes back into use Reduce use of B&B & unsuitable temporary

accommodation Prevent homelessness (families and expectant

mothers) Improve access to private sector tenancies Administer the council’s furnished tenancy scheme Administer the Heading Home Forum Develop alternatives to B&B Manage some emergency accommodation

Reducing B&B Use

June 1996 20 households (11families)

March 2001 95 households

March 2002 146 households

Feb. 2003 265 households (55 families)

March 2004 213 households (17 families)

Dec. 2004 105 households ( 6 families)

Reducing B&B - Key issues

Government focus on families:no families or expectant mums in for more than6 weeks – this target is now law. Family sizes Numbers of singles and their needs Lack of suitable temporary and permanent

accommodation for singles Lack of Supporting People funds

Developing Alternatives to B&B

FAMILIES Trinity Lodge & Fortfield Road BCC emergency housing units B&Bs developing self-contained units A new family scheme ? Domestic Abuse Safe Houses (Next

Link) Mother and Baby Homes Increasing access to the private sector

Developing Alternatives to B&B

SINGLES Victoria Street Hostel; Spring House;

Tollhouse Court Pipeline : St Georges House (Young

People) ClearSprings – move on role Role of BHP Development Sub Group

Roles Within the Team

Housing Adviser (Empty Homes)

Temporary Accommodation coordinator

Housing Adviser (Family Deposit Bond)

Housing Adviser (Furnished Tenancies)

Emergency Housing Officer

Heading Home Forum Worker

Preventing Homelessness – Families and Expectant Mothers

Currently a decentralised family homeless service – shortly to change

Central team of 5 Prevention Officers (including CEED Trainee)

Outreach service to 3 Divisional Areas: Easton (Central); Bedminster/Knowle (South); Henbury (North) – not yet operational

Homelessness Prevention (Families)

‘Early intervention in cases of potential

homelessness to enable families to retain

their accommodation, or take another

housing option, that prevents them from

having to present to the local authority as

homeless’

Why Prevention ?

Government lead

More cost effective

Better service to clients – more choice

Diminishing social housing to respond to homelessness

What is Prevention Work?

Mediation between landlord and tenant Resolving tenancy issues – HB problems Mediation in family disputes Advice, including money matters Offering other accommodation options,

especially private sector Prevention Fund used on a ‘spend to save’

basis

Prevention – is it successful ?

500 family cases closed since March 2004

387 (77%) prevented from presenting under the homelessness legislation

127 found private sector housing 51 tenancies saved £200,000+ saved because cases were

not placed in B&B

Accessing Private Sector Accommodation

LANDLORD INCENTIVES Deposit Bond Schemes – Singles and

Families Free Insurance (arrears and damage) Payments of deposit and rent in advance Grants for renovations HB support service

The Hub – Multi-Agency Advice CentreOpened 1995, with the key aims to:

Provide effective holistic responses to the needs of client groups

Provide coordinated services e.g. housing, social services and health

What Was Life Like Then?

Relatively easy to obtain council accommodation

Direct access hostels

No housing benefit restrictions

20 people in B&B

One Homelessness Officer

What’s Life Like Now?

Much less council accommodation available (about 5,000 homes lost)

Priority access to hostels Housing Benefit restrictions Increasing property prices Drug use 100+ single people in B&B Massive increase in B&B expenditure

The Hub Tried to Carry On…

7 Homelessness Officers

Increased referrals to them from the front of house team

Increased stress / sickness amongst staff

Not workable

Independent EvaluationThe Recommendations:

Cannot carry on with the same model

Bring the front of house team into council management

Develop effective monitoring systems

Redefine Shelter’s involvement

The Homelessness Prevention Agenda (ODPM)‘You can’t help everyone’

Verification of homelessness and more home visits

Homelessness Prevention Fund

Reduced use of B&B

Homelessness Prevention Workers are the first point of contact

Single Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Team Commissioning We currently receive £720,000 in ODPM

homelessness grant

We use grant funds to purchase services which will meet Bristol’s 5 ODPM homelessness targets (currently 15 separate services.

We work closely with service providers to alter, improve and monitor services

Bristol’s Homelessness StrategyThe team is responsible for: Bringing together the strategy (published August

2003)

Coordinating the Strategy Action Plan

Working in wide partnership to ensure that project developments meet Strategy priorities

Facilitating a range of Homelessness Consortium meetings and forums

24/7 Homelessness Assessment Centre

The PurposeProvide coordinated multi-agency health,housing and support services, with:

Detailed needs assessments

Client contracts and action plans

Clear routes into appropriate services

Night CentreFlexible

DayServices

24 Short Stay, Intensive Support Hostel Bedspaces

The Model

The Centre Will: Bring together Focus Structure Build on and improve

The services, skills, knowledge and expertise of a wide range of agencies, within a core of flexible day services, a Night Centre and dedicated intensive support hostel bedspaces.

The Centre Won’t Be: A dumping ground

The solution to everyone’s needs

More housing

Another Hub Advice Centre

A replacement for other key services

Housing Options Our Housing Options

pack is on line now for you to use with clients

We do not have enough LA properties for everyone

We need every one to be more realistic about their housing aspirations

There are lots of opportunities to access private rented sector tenancies

Shared housing does work for many clients

Private rented accommodation often available in areas where there is no LA stock