“Statutory homelessness” in Swindon

The statistics for 2015/16 relating to people who approach Swindon Council as homeless or being threatened with homelessness show a worsening situation.

• In 2015/16 the number of households approaching the council as homeless was 559. Two years previously it was only 225.

• The number of households accepted as homeless and “in priority need” (see Addendum for explanation) has risen by 50% over the last two years; from 110 to 165.

• The number of households living in temporary accommodation has increased by 78% over the last two and a half years, from 201 to 359.

From the figures it’s clear that Swindon Council is finding it increasingly difficult to deal with what is a growing problem. In 2009/10 they managed to assist 956 households in preventing or relieving homelessness. Yet by last year they were able to achieve this in only 287 cases.

The number of households they were able to help obtain alternative accommodation (where they were faced with the loss of their existing accommodation) fell from 757 in 2009/10 to just 242 in 2015/16. (Read on below or download a PDF here homelessnessstatsswindon )

The council is having to rely more and more on using the private rented sector as their own stock numbers continue to decline¹. In 2015/16 the council and housing associations had to lease 230 private sector properties as compared to 95 two years earlier. Because private rents are higher than council or housing association rents this is more expensive where tenants are eligible for Local Housing Allowance.

Changes to benefits has made the task of council officers more difficult, especially when it relates to young people. The government increased the age at which tenants were only eligible for the shared accommodation rate (SAR) of £60.04 a week from 24 to 35. Swindon Housing Action Campaign has shown that the average rent for shared accommodation in Swindon was £1,905.92 above the SAR payment (see http://swindonhousingaction.org/swindon-private-sector-rents-rip-off ). So those eligible for SAR may not be able to afford shared accommodation even if they qualify for the full LHA rate. A one bed property is £3,500 more than the SAR rate.

The situation will be exacerbated by the fact that private rents will continue to rise but the government has frozen the Local Housing Allowance for four years. LHA rates are set at the 30^th percentile. In other words it is only enough to be able to afford the cheapest 30% of properties available in the local area. Around a quarter of cases of homelessness are a result of the ending of short-hold tenancies in the private sector.

A local authority has no duty to secure accommodation for all people who are homeless. For instance there is no statutory duty to secure housing for homeless single people nor couples without children who are not deemed to be vulnerable.

“If you are eligible for public funds, have a connection to the local area and are ‘unintentionally homeless’, you will still then need to be considered ‘in priority need’ in order to be considered ‘statutorily homeless’.” Crisis – The national charity for homeless people

Council officers will try to help people to find other alternatives if they can. Swindon Council’s homelessness section has arrangements with landlords for around 430 properties. For a rent guarantee the landlords charge a rent slightly lower than the market rate. Without these arrangements the situation would obviously be much worse.

However, rent levels, and government policy (such as the change in SAR policy) make their task increasingly difficult. It’s no wonder that the phenomenon of people paying rent to live in garages and ‘beds in sheds’ has emerged in Swindon. When a landlord was fined for renting unsafe accommodation, Rebecca Martin, a Swindon Borough Council Environmental Health Officer told the Swindon Advertiser:

“‘Beds in sheds’ as they are known are increasingly becoming a problem locally and nationally and it appears that landlords feel they can get away with providing sub-standard accommodation.”

Martin Wicks

January 6^th 2016

Addendum

‘In priority need’

• a pregnant woman

• dependent child

• someone vulnerable as a result of old age, mental illness, learning disability or physical disability

• someone homeless or threatened with homelessness as a result of an emergency such as flood, fire or other disaster

• someone aged 16 or 17

• aged under 21 years old where they have been in local authority care between the ages of 16 and 18

• aged 21 and over who are vulnerable as result of leaving local authority care

• vulnerable armed forces leavers

• vulnerable prison leavers

• vulnerable as a result of fleeing domestic violence or the threat of domestic violence.

Statutory Homelessness Statistics Swindon

Decisions made

	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Numbers being accepted as homeless and in priority need	98	92	110	120	110	163	165
Eligible homeless, and in priority need but intentionally	46	55	53	51	31	67	79
Eligible homeless but not in priority need	29	38	46	46	25	33	57
Eligible but not homeless	54	65	99	64	53	83	258
Total decisions	227	250	308	281	225	346	559

Households accommodated by the authority on March 31^st

	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Bed and Breakfast	15	5	6	4	0	0	5
LA/HA stock	124	85	70	76	85	96	90
Private sector leased by LA/HA	128	133	110	95	110	171	230
Total in temporary accommodation	311	256	202	181	201	273	329

Reported cases of homelessness, prevention and relief

	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Number of cases where positive action was successful in preventing homelessness
Able to remain in existing home	30	53	42	73	55	27	28
Assisted to obtain alternative accommodation	727	347	427	330	325	298	242
Total	757	402	469	403	380	325	270
No of cases where positive action was successful in relieving homelessness	199	275	115	179	96	35	17
Total cases of prevention and relief	956	677	584	582	476	360	287