South Lakeland District and Eden District Homelessness Review Summary

Contents

Summary of Homelessness Review for South Lakeland District Council and Eden District Council

1.0 Introduction ...... 1

2.0 Key Findings on Current Levels of Homelessness and Services Provided ...... 2 3

3.0 Key Findings from the data on Future Levels of Homelessness ...... 3 5

Summary of the Homelessness Review for South Lakeland and Eden 1.0 Introduction

The Homelessness Act 2002 placed a duty on all local authorities to publish a Homelessness Strategy by July 2003 and then publish new strategies on a no longer than five yearly basis. In order to develop the Strategy a comprehensive review must be completed so that local authorities can effectively meet and address the identified needs and gaps in services. This Review sets out data and information pertaining to current and likely future levels of homelessness. It details what services are currently available contrasting this with the level of need identified so that future service development can be steered towards areas where there are gaps and greatest need. 2.0 Key Findings on Current Levels of Homelessness and Services Provided

Issues Key Findings Recommendations for the Homelessness Strategy Current levels of • In South Lakeland the number of • Increase the level of prevention homelessness people presenting as homeless to work in both Districts to reverse the Housing Options Team has risen the trend of higher by 50.6% in the last 12 months and homelessness presentations. there has been a corresponding rise This work needs to target those in the number of cases where people threatened with homelessness has been prevented homelessness at a much earlier of 39% However, this is not the case stage, i.e. in the cases of in Eden where presentations have landlord repossessions before decreased with a corresponding cases go to court so that the drop in preventions. right support can be put into • Inconsistency in application of 16/17 place year old protocol • Support money advice work • Young people being told to leave by including budgeting and money parents or other relatives is the most management courses, credit common cause of homeless union development, life/tenancy presentations other than loss of an skills assured short-hold tenancy. • Education – ensuring that young people receive advice and information about the true costs of setting up home and reality of finding a home • Work with Children’s Services to ensure the 16/17 year old protocol is operating effectively • Provide a written plan of advice and action to anyone who approaches the Council with a housing/homeless issue considering all available options such as access to alternative accommodation (including the private sector), staying in existing accommodation, low cost housing solutions

Rough sleeping • Data gathered during the Multi- • Adopt ‘no second night out’ in Agency monitoring showed 15 South Lakeland and Eden people who had slept rough in • Monitor levels of rough sleeping October and 6 who had slept rough including conducting regular 3

in November.A proportion of these rough sleeping count (7 in October and 2 in November) • Develop reconnection services were from outside Cumbria and in for rough sleepers from outside some cases outside the North West. of the Districts/Cumbria where they need to be relocated to existing housing and/or support. Temporary • The use of bed and breakfast has • Reduce the use of temporary Accommodation halved in South Lakeland, and accommodation remained fairly consistent in Eden • Evaluate the need for additional though length of stay in bed and temporary accommodation in breakfast in Eden has more than light of use of bed and breakfast doubled. Length of stay in the hostel • Considering use of the Hostel in in South Lakeland has remained South Lakeland to support the fairly consistent at average of 83.5 ‘no second night out’ standard days over the four year period from and for non-priority homeless 2008 - 2012. Eden has reduced the under S193 amount of temporary accommodation to 2 units maintaining a focus on homeless prevention. Causes of • The main causes are relationship • Set up on-going monitoring to homelessness breakdown (violent/non-violent), ascertain the reasons for the parents/other relations unwilling to main causes of homelessness to accommodate (young people) and be reported to the Strategic the loss of an assured short-hold Homelessness Group, tenancy in the private rented sector. particularly in relation to the loss of an assured short-hold tenancy. • Working with partners to develop new private rented homes with longer-term tenancies. Discharge from • P1E records show very little • Determine the need for further hospital, prison, statutory homeless cases that have protocols for the above in line armed forces been discharged from any of these with Government institutions. However, housing recommendations advice records in South Lakeland • Develop and implement the show that there are cases of protocols required homeless people being discharged from hospital and in particular from prison who do not appear to have been owed a statutory homeless duty. Location of • A significant number of homeless • Consider the need for outreach homelessness people originate from rural areas services to rural localities with the majority being from the main towns of Penrith, Kendal and Ulverston. Support Needs • In South Lakeland amongst • Support – ensure that there is homeless acceptances there is a sufficient take up of floating high proportion of people with support that is currently physical and mental health issues available and support through and a fairly high number of older other agencies such as Cumbria people. This data correlates with County Council Family that of Manna House that shows a Intervention project, Education, high number of their clients having Probation, Health etc linking mental health and/or substance across the agencies to offer a misuse issues. This does not appear seamless service 4

to be the case in Eden, however, the • Link with Health, DAAT and number of people vulnerable due to Adult Social Care in ascertaining domestic violence is higher than the support requirements of South Lakeland. Floating support individuals with physical and/or capacity is not being fully utilised mental health/learning difficulties and needs to be to ensure continued and substance misuse and funding. Supported accommodation improve signposting to services has been tendered and in some needed cases new support providers are in place. In South Lakeland no supported accommodation schemes have had to close, however, in Eden one scheme closed and has subsequently re-opened. Mortgage and • There is a worrying trend of • Evaluate the use of and Landlord Possession increasing landlord possession effectiveness of the Court Desk Claims claims and possession claims where service orders are made. This is not the • Set up early warning systems for case for mortgage possessions. Registered Providers and private landlords

3.0 Key Findings from the data on Future Levels of Homelessness

Issues Key Findings Recommendations Constraints on • In-migration affects the number of • Set up monitoring of second housing supply properties that would have been homes, holiday homes and empty available to households already in homes, together with the impact the locality. However, it also affects of the revitalised Right to Buy the number of older people that will • Work with existing targets to bring reside within the Districts and this empty homes back into use could in turn affect the number of linking grants to rehousing of older homeless households over homeless households. time. • Expandingthe social lettings • Second homes, holiday homes and scheme long-term empty homes put a • Ensure that Age UK is aware of further pressure on any available services available to older people supply of homes to buy and rent privately. This is far worse in rural localities than the urban areas. However, the reverse is true of empty properties. • The Right to Buy has had a massive impact on the amount of low cost social rented properties available with a loss of 580 social rented homes in South Lakeland from 2000 and 229 from 1997 in Eden. The growing number of Right to Buy enquiries and applications since the Government increased the maximum discount available reveals that many more social rented homes are likely to be lost. Increases in housing • The number of new build market • Targets for the delivery of supply and affordable housing affordable housing are contained completions decreased over the within Cumbria Housing Strategy 5

period, however, the last year has and South Lakeland District seen a rise in the number of Council Housing Strategy Action completions and there are a Plan and will be monitored on a number of affordable housing regular basis. The Land schemes in the pipeline in both Allocations process will assist in Districts. Most new build affordable the delivery of a significant homes will be for affordable rent increase in affordable homes. under the Government’s affordable • Monitoring of conversions to homes programme. affordable rent and new build of affordable rent properties Economic • The drop in lower quartile earnings • Development and signposting of Environment of 20% in South Lakeland, being housing advice services that the highest drop in income provide money management, debt • Levels of unemployment have advice, tenancy management/life risen though are still below skills Regional and National levels • The recession has affected the number of homes being built for market and affordable sale and rent as mentioned above. Developers have not been bringing many sites forward for market and affordable homes probably due to slow house sales in the housing market, the restrictions placed on borrowing such as larger deposits and the decreases in market value. Welfare Reform • This presents one of the biggest • Develop actions that mitigate the challenges to the possible rise in risk of increased homelessness homelessness that could be through welfare reform, i.e. for experienced. Whilst figures are single homeless under 35s, available showing the numbers of households affected by under people that may be affected it is occupancy and benefit cap for impossible to predict how all these example, money/debt advice and people may react to the loss of management course, monitoring benefits and this could have the mutual exchanges/downsizing following affect:- schemes as per the Tenancy • Movement of low income tenants Strategy, early warning systems from more expensive rental market with Registered Providers and areas to cheaper ones private landlords as above, • Increased hardship, shown by development of the social lettings greater demand for debt and agency in South Lakeland and counselling services and rising rent Eden. arrears • Work in partnership with • Greater demand on homelessness Registered Providers to support and housing options services and tenants in schemes such as job more homelessness due to the clubs and training that will ‘loss of an assured short-hold improve employment prospects tenancy in the private rented sector’ • Greater levels of overcrowding; increased demand for smaller properties • Increased applications to the Housing Register; increased applications for Discretionary Housing Payments 6

• Greater reluctance by landlords to let to benefit claimants • Households struggling to access private rented accommodation Housing Need • Significant backlog of housing • Links to increased supply and need shown through the Strategic subsequent recommendations Housing Market Assessments and the number of people registered on the Housing Register via Cumbria Choice.