Have your say in House of Commons homelessness inquiry

Dill

There was an interesting article in the Big Issue about this subject a couple of weeks ago. One problem is, the authorities seem to assume that someone will be made homeless during office hours. A victim of DV (or other abuse) could find themselves on the streets and penniless at any time of the day or night.

UKParliament

On Monday 18 April from 4pm, the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee is hearing evidence on homelessness from representatives of four local authorities from across the country.

This session focuses on how councils work to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, and reviews the effectiveness of this work.

The Committee will hear from:

• Councillor Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Business and Economic Development, Westminster City Council
• Nick Hooper, Service Director for Housing Solutions, Bristol City Council
• Jim Crawshaw, Integrated Service Head, Homeless and Pre-Tenancy Services, Birmingham City Council
• Hazel Summers, Strategic Director, Adult Social Services, Manchester City Council

Watch the session on Parliament TV.

bobbieg

I was made homeless in June 2014 after my landlord brought my 6 year tenancy to an end for his own gain. I am a single parent to 3 children after my husband left us. I currently work part time for the NHS in a&E.
Our council were extremely aggressive in their need to not house us. I was told time sons time again they would not house us despite us being within their criteria. Once I provided details of eviction date they still made no plans and despite leaving our house at 8am that morning they left us sitting in a park with no where to go until 5:30pm that night. Despite me calling several times during the day they continually said they had nowhere to put us until they finally put us temporarily in the staff room of one of their hostels, until 3 days later they moved us to a proper hostel room. We stayed in that hostel for 5 and a half months until they placed us in private sector lease, I was told this would not affect my place on the bidding list for a permanent property, but once I bid successfully I was then told that actually we have to stay in private lease for 2 years. The private lease rent is far too high, the housing benefit would not cover it but as I work part time I get less anyway. I cannot afford to work full time whilst I'm here as all my wages would be taken up by rent. I need to wait until we are in a permanent council place then go back to full time, which seems ridiculous that a single parent wanting to work is priced out of it.
Our council were gate keeping all the way through our application. I complained to them on several occasions and never once did I get a response.
The house they have placed us in needs a lot of work, the kitchen drawers are all rotten and unusable, there's a leak in the cupboard in the bedroom which produces black mould all over the walls, the windows need replacing and the bedrooms are sell damp. This for over £280 per week.
I'm happy to talk directly to anyone who would like more information on our experience as quite frankly it was and still is a living nightmare.

UKParliament

On Monday 9 May from 4pm, the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee will hear evidence from representatives of organisations who work with some of the most vulnerable homeless people, including those with poor mental health, victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse, those with substance abuse and alcohol addictions, ex-offenders and those seeking refugee status.

The Committee will hear from;

• Katharine Sacks-Jones, Director, Agenda
• Henry St Clair Miller, Manager, No Recourse to Public Funds Network
• Helen Mathie, Head of Policy, Homeless Link
• Oliver Hilbery, Project Director, Making Every Adult Matter

Watch the session on Parliament TV.

UKParliament

On Monday 6 June from 4pm, the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee will hear evidence from those who have experienced homelessness and Heriot-Watt University academics as part of their inquiry into the causes and the effectiveness of work undertaken to address homelessness.

The first half of the session will cover first-hand experience of engaging with homeless services and trying to find secure accommodation. The Committee will hear from:

• Mateasa Grant, Crisis 'mystery shopper'
• Daisy-May Hudson, director of 'Half Way' film
• Ross Symonds, author of 'Homeless in Bristol' blog

The second half of the session, from 4.45pm, will cover England’s homelessness legislation and whether any lessons could be learned from Scotland, Wales and elsewhere in Europe. The Committee will hear from:

• Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Heriot-Watt University
• Professor Sarah Johnsen, Heriot-Watt University

Watch the session on Parliament TV.

[Deleted User]

I hope Gatekeeping will be mentioned. So many councils 'put off' applicants who should be accepted.

I have two children with special needs (autism), I have autism, LL was selling his house after a nightmare 4 years living there (he wouldn't do repairs, threatened to evict me even when in fixed term). Council told me they might not be able to house me because I'd left a council house four years before. Total rot as I'd lived for four years (stable situation) in the same place since, however unhappily. Gave me a very nasty few weeks until I discovered this as I thought we'd literally be on the streets.

A week before eviction I was sent an email from my housing officer when I begged for help and some certainty as to where we would be going, saying I could be given a loan to the value of LHA and I should find a private rental. This is spite of fact that LHA is £750 for a 3 bed, private rents are £1,150 - the Housing Officer himself told me this (and its true). So unhelpful. I was so suicidal its untrue. Housing maximise the stress of being homeless and ignore legislation/their own housing policy. More control of this is needed. Shelter would only give me help if covered by legal aid, and as there was no point in 'fighting' the S21 - which would be granted anyway eventually.., they closed my case. There is NO help for the homeless.

I was told so many times to live with a friend (would put me up to band A) but I am autistic, I do not have any friends. I come from an abusive family background, I have no family to turn to for help. So inappropriate to have the system work in this way.

Then, in spite of the stress of the eviction process giving me severe health problems (ambulance called out many times), the council would not offer help early (in spite of support from professionals showing the situation was affecting our health, supposedly one of the things the council is supposed to act on according to their policy), I was told I was 'housed' up until evicted so no help available.

Two children with autism, evicted 10.30, no where to go, had to wander streets til 3pm with no idea if would be given somewhere, what or where.

Since then, we are band C, in emergency housing, with social services involvement, same as everyone else who is homeless. My council ignores any request for reassessment in spite of their policy saying reassessment should be happening. My older son's social worker has said that with other councils, with the evidence she has sent in, we'd be A or B priority. But my council seems to be able to do what they like.

Consistency in how Homelessness is dealt with, more investigation into housing fraud to free up social housing that exists would help, less lies from Housing also an essential move.

Being Homeless is made as bad as it could possibly be, this is not necessary. It costs more than it saves. Someone somewhere needs to see that across budgets helping people into housing, more stable life styles, into jobs would actually save rather than cost money. What if my children had been taken into care? This would cost thousands a week? Why does no one think of this. Yet I was brought to my knees at times by the system. I am doing my absolute best to have two children become adults who are working and not benefit dependent, but this means that for now, I am benefit dependant. Why can no one see the benefit of what I do? My health is still affected by what happened, the stress was terrible, and I was already sleepless, caring for my kids on my own. This needs to be recognised.

[Deleted User]

Sorry I didn't say what I think should be different.

Councils should do more checks on their housing stock to make sure their listed tenants are actually living there. Discovering this after years of a tenant subletting a property is not good. This,if carried out thoroughly would free up much needed housing stock.

Why was it set out that LA's had to pay extra money received from Pay to Stay to cut the government deficit but HA's are allowed to use the money to increase housing stock? I was surprised that so little recognition is given to the need to build more social housing. Particularly with the government driving charities hard to be self sustaining.., surely such a scheme, if the LA money was fed back into more housing would increase ability to self sustain housing stock and income?

It seems that councils at the moment are allowed to set their own housing policy, and then play lip service to it. There should be a complaints procedure that is fairly administered available to complainants, that does not involve going to court (which is impossible if the tenant can not cover the fees).

Gatekeeping NOT ALLOWED at all. All interviews recorded with software used to print out all transcripts for both parties and handed to both parties after the interview. This could increase the accuracy of the information exchanged for both parties. The costs of Gatekeeping can not be counted and should be stopped.

Legislation that works to protect the vulnerable.

Tenant rights should be made clearly available, printed out in every housing office. The time that would save!

Policy should be changed so that more information is given out on the eviction process - one leaflet is all it would take, explaining the steps to eviction, explaining the different bailiff options so tenants can be better informed and plan the transition. Empower the tenants.

LHA should be as it was supposed to be, a certain percentage of the average rent in an area. If tenants decide to move out of an expensive area, removal costs should be covered, they should be given an opportunity to view a property and a fee paid to encourage the tenant to move to a cheaper property. I've seen HO's try to sell a property 150 miles away like it was the best thing since sliced bread.., with no displayed understanding at all of the ructions this would cause to a young mother. If its saving the LA money, the tenant should benefit in some small way too.

A tenant should be allowed to have more than one choice of property if homeless. Then they might not return to homelessness. A homeless person should not automatically be forced to accept the worst of the worst without some assessment of suitability.

Since when was it ok in this country to consider that a person who is homeless has no rights, no protection and no recourse against injustice?

UKParliament

On Monday 13 June from 4pm, the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee will hear evidence from Government ministers about the actions taken by the Government to address homelessness, how effective cross-departmental working is, and what other Departments are doing to support efforts to reduce homelessness.

The Committee will hear from:

At 4.00pm

• Marcus Jones MP – Minister for Local Government, Department for Communities and Local Government

At 4.45pm

• Jane Ellison MP – Minister for Public Health, Department of Health
• Lord David Freud – Minister for Welfare Reform, Department for Work & Pensions

Watch the evidence session on Parliament TV.

[Deleted User]

Although I have watched the other Homelessness events, I don't think I will be able to watch the above without getting highly stressed. Just tired of the spin.

UKParliament

Hi Everyone,

On Monday 5 September from 4pm, the Communities and Local Government Committee will question representatives of national homeless charities and local authorities on their reactions to the Homelessness Reduction Bill and the impact they think it could have on levels of homelessness and the potential resource implications for councils.

Purpose of the session
The Committee will scrutinise the Private Member's Bill, which has been published by Committee member Bob Blackman MP, and examine whether it will achieve its aim of reducing levels of homelessness.

Witnesses

At 4.00pm: Charity representatives

Kate Webb, Head of Policy, Shelter
Matthew Downie, Director of Policy and External Affairs, Crisis
Dominic Williamson, Executive Director of Strategy and Policy, St Mungo's

At 5.00pm: Local authority representatives

Justine Harris, Housing Options Manager, Brighton and Hove City Council
Rhys Makinson, Director of Housing Support Services, London Borough of Camden
Cllr Frank Hont, Cabinet Member for Housing, Liverpool City Council
Heather Wood, Head of Housing Advice and Options, South Cambridgeshire District Council

You can watch the session live or catch-up on Parliament TV.



What is the Homelessness Reduction Bill?
The Bill, which is supported by all the Committee members, includes provisions to intervene earlier to prevent homelessness, provide a robust package of support and assistance to single homeless people and enforce homelessness legislation effectively.

The inquiry follows the Bill's first reading on 29 June 2016 and comes ahead of its second reading on 28 October 2016, when MPs will debate the Bill and decide whether it should continue to progress through Parliament. The Bill includes provisions to intervene earlier to prevent homelessness, provide a robust package of support and assistance to single homeless people and enforce homelessness legislation effectively.

Further Information

Read the CLG Committee's report on Homelessness
Follow the Bill through Parliament