MINUTES Meeting: Housing Committee Date: Tuesday 22 January 2019 Time: 10.00 am Place: Committee Room 5, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2AA Copies of the minutes may be found at: www.london.gov.uk/mayor-assembly/london-assembly/housing Present: Sian Berry AM (Chair) Tom Copley AM (Deputy Chair) Jennette Arnold OBE AM Andrew Boff AM Leonie Cooper AM David Kurten AM 1 Apologies for Absence and Chair's Announcements (Item 1) 1.1 Apologies for absence were received from Nicky Gavron AM, for whom Jennette Arnold OBE AM substituted, and Tony Devenish AM. 2 Declarations of Interests (Item 2) 2.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 2.2 Resolved: That the list of offices held by Assembly Members, as set out in the table at Agenda Item 2, be noted as disclosable pecuniary interests. City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA Enquiries: 020 7983 4100 minicom: 020 7983 4458 www.london.gov.uk Greater London Authority Housing Committee Tuesday 22 January 2019 3 Minutes (Item 3) 3.1 Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2018 be signed by the Chair as a correct record. 4 Summary List of Actions (Item 4) 4.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 4.2 Resolved: That the completed and outstanding actions arising from previous meetings of the Committee be noted. 5 Housing Monitoring Report (Item 5) 5.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 5.2 Resolved: That the Housing Monitoring Report be noted. 6 Temporary Accommodation in the Era of Welfare Reform (Item 6) 6.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat as background to putting questions on temporary accommodation in the era of welfare reform to the invited guests set out below. Panel A: Natalie Williamson, Senior Policy Officer, Residential Landlords Association (RLA); Lee Georgiou, Housing Needs Manager, London Borough of Lewisham; Julia Pitt, Director of Gateway Services, London Borough of Croydon; and Matt Campion, Chief Executive, Shepherd’s Bush Housing Group, and Member of Homes for Cathy. 2 Greater London Authority Housing Committee Tuesday 22 January 2019 Panel B: Deborah Halling, Senior Policy Officer for Homelessness, Housing and Land, Greater London Authority (GLA); Richard d’Souza, Head of Universal Credit Engagement Division, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Sidonie Edey, Homelessness Policy Lead, DWP; and Mark Baigent, Director of PLACE Limited, Interim Divisional Director, Housing and Regeneration, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. 6.2 A transcript of the discussion with Panel A is attached at Appendix 1. A transcript of the discussion with Panel B is attached at Appendix 2. 6.3 Following a video being shown, interviewing a member of the public placed in temporary accommodation describing their experiences, a Member of the Committee requested that the right of reply be provided to the London Borough of Hackney, where the particular case was based. 6.4 During the course of the discussion Natalie Williams, Senior Policy Officer, RLA undertook to provide; RLA research reports on the impact of Universal Credit and other welfare benefit reforms on the Private Rented Sector letting to homeless tenants and benefit recipients; and Information on what would make RLA members more likely to rent to those who are homeless or on benefits. 6.5 During the course of the discussion, Julia Pitt, Director of Gateway, London Borough of Croydon and Lee Georgiou, Housing Needs Manager, London Borough of Lewisham, undertook to provide further information on the number of out-of-borough placements from other London Boroughs that are placed within the London Boroughs of Croydon and Lewisham, respectively. 6.6 Following the discussion regarding out-of-borough placements, Members of the Committee suggested that the Chair write to all London Boroughs to request information on the number of out-of-borough placements that have been placed in another London Borough, and to specify which London Borough the out-of-borough placements are located. 6.7 During the course of the discussions, Julia Pitt, Director of Gateway Services, London Borough of Croydon, undertook to provide further information as to the experience and process, from the perspective of a London Borough, of inputting landlords onto the rogue landlord database. 3 Greater London Authority Housing Committee Tuesday 22 January 2019 6.8 The Chair suggested writing to the DWP and Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for more information on work taking place regarding the quality of temporary accommodation and selective landlord licensing. 6.9 Following a discussion on the reduction in the number of acceptances under the main homelessness duty of people in priority need since the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force, Members suggested that clarification be sought on whether this was a concern for the DWP and the MHCLG. 6.10 During the course of the discussions, Richard d’Souza, Head of Universal Credit Engagement Division, DWP, and Sidonie Edey, Homelessness Policy Lead, DWP undertook to provide clarification on whether the work coach, provided under Universal Credit, remains the same if the individual moves to a different Borough and how continuing of support is provided. 6.11 During the course of the discussions, Deborah Halling, Senior Policy Officer for Homelessness, Housing and Land, GLA undertook to provide further information about Real Lettings and whether further funding would be provided under the current Affordable Homes programme. 6.12 At the end of the discussion the Chair thanked the guests for their attendance and helpful contributions. 6.13 Resolved: (a) That the report and discussion be noted; and (b) That authority be delegated to the Chair, in consultation with party Group Lead Members, to agree any output from the discussion. 7 Housing Committee Work Programme (Item 7) 7.1 The Committee received the report of the Executive Director of Secretariat. 7.2 Resolved: That the work programme for the remainder of the 2018/2019 Assembly year be agreed. 8 Date of Next Meeting (Item 8) 8.1 The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for Tuesday, 26 February 2019 at 10.00 am in Committee Room 5, City Hall. 4 Greater London Authority Housing Committee Tuesday 22 January 2019 9 Any Other Business the Chair Considers Urgent (Item 9) 9.1 There were no items of business that the Chair considered to be urgent. 10 Close of Meeting 10.1 The meeting ended at 12.32pm. Chair Date Contact Officer: Jonathan Baker, Committee Officer; telephone: 020 7084 2825; email: [email protected]; minicom: 020 7983 4458 5 This page is intentionally left blank Appendix 1 London Assembly Housing Committee – Tuesday, 22 January 2019 Transcript of Item 6 – Panel A - Temporary Accommodation in the Era of Welfare Reform Sian Berry AM (Chair): We are moving on to our main item, which is our investigation into the effects of welfare reform on councils’ ability to provide temporary accommodation. We have a Members’ briefing, which has much more detail, and lots of questions for our guests, but before I introduce our guests we are going to show a short video of one of the cases that we have met in the course of our investigation, which is Sarah. (Video starts) Sian Berry AM (Chair): I’m Sian Berry. I’m Chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee and we’re investigating the impact of changes to welfare and changes to the housing market on councils’ ability to provide temporary accommodation and help to people who come to them in need of housing. I’m here today to speak to Sarah, who’s just one of many, many cases we’ve been hearing about. Sarah: So I was living in my new property in East Village, which I bid for with my first daughter, and we were only there for three months before we received the Section 21 [notice]. So I went back to the Council I was residing in to tell them I was getting evicted. They gave me other hostel-type emergency accommodation for about two weeks when they were doing investigations. Then they said I made myself intentionally homeless and I had to go back to the Council I bid from again. The only thing left that I haven’t really done is literally slept on the street with my kids, but we have literally had to, for one or two days, sleep in cars. This has been an ongoing situation for going on four years now. So I’ve been back and forth with Hackney Council for over three years, three different assessments, three different approaches, three different circumstances and even a greater need, and still been turned down. So they just handed me - just pushed on the table - a relocation package, but it just seems like a homelessness application form for Durham. They gave me one. It was about September [2018]. They handed me another one for Bradford. I then started, you know, learning about who to go to and where to get advice from because that was something else the social services weren’t giving me or letting me know exactly what organisations I can go to. It was just Shelter. Councils should assess people properly and very carefully with a fine-tooth comb instead of finding excuses for not housing them. My life’s been on hold for four years. (Video ends) Sian Berry AM (Chair): Thank you so much to Sarah for letting us -- Jennette Arnold OBE AM: A point of information. I am not being territorial here but I do represent Hackney, the borough mentioned.