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Guildford Developing New Strategy To Deal With Increasing Problem of Homelessness
Published on: 22 Oct, 2018
Updated on: 24 Oct, 2018
Rough sleepers by Guildford railway station (October 2018)
By Amina Sahbegovic
Guildford Borough Council is planning a new two-year strategy in its continuing struggle to reduce the number of homeless people in the town.
The strategy is to be based on three pillars:
- Prevention (effective and creative use of resources to prevent homelessness);
- Support (providing services to help people access and sustain accommodation); and
- Supply (ensuring adequate accommodation for those homeless or at risk of homelessness.
This should cover the changes to the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 which increases the obligations of local authorities. But the challenges intensify because funding from central government and Surrey County Council is reducing as homelessness rises.
The number of rough sleepers in Guildford has increased to about 40, registered every month. Some have been homeless for years, some are new. On top, 2,600 are waiting on the social housing register, some for years.
Cllr Caroline Reeves
Caroline Reeves, GBC’s Liberal Democrat leader and also a Guildford Action Trustee, says: “Warnings given about the impact of claimants migrating to Universal Credit, imminent for new claimants, and the unknown impact of whatever Brexit brings are very real and a cause for concern.
“If the government actually implements their proposed change which would allow local authorities to borrow to build homes, we could start with much-needed smaller homes for those on the waiting list.”
Sadly, there is little cause for optimism that homelessness will decrease, partly because of the drop in available social housing, now about 5,200 homes.
Between 40 and 45% of Guildford’s social housing stock is estimated to have been sold since the 1980s.
The Right to Buy scheme, allowing council tenants to buy their home at a large discount, is said to have reduced the number of available council houses by about 25 houses a year.
Since it was introduced in the 1980s, up to 45% of GBC’s social housing stock is believed to have been sold , a similar proportion to the rest of England, approximately two million properties. Because of the cap on council borrowing, most are not being replaced.
Cllr Reeves says: “Right to Buy never helps people who are a long way down the ladder”, adding: “The only answer to homelessness is more housing.”
Universal Credit is to be introduced in Guildford this month (October 2018) for new applicants. The transfer of those already on benefits is said to have been delayed indefinitely.
The new benefit aims to make claiming more simple by replacing six benefits, including child tax credit, housing benefit, income support, and income-based jobseeker allowance, into one payment. This has already caused problems in other parts of the country and that worries GBC councillors. Slowed payments mean some on benefits may be unable to pay their rent on time, possibly leading to eviction.
There is high demand for Guildford residential properties. That causes increased house prices and rent levels out of reach for most people on low incomes and those dependent on benefits. This has increased the level of homelessness. Cllr Reeves says: “We can now see young working people becoming homeless, not the demographic people would expect.”
Joanne Tester, chief executive officer at Guildford Action, an independent registered charity helping isolated families and individuals experiencing homelessness, says that 20 years ago the the council used to have an area housing manager who helped people manage their money instead of evicting them. She added: “The relationship between council and tenants was much more successful. Now, I see people going into private rentals all the time because there is nothing else. But they never stay long.”
The new legislation for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and modernisation of services makes it harder for the council to reach out to the people who need it the most and the council is facing significant ongoing financial pressures. In April 2018, the Housing Related Support budget for socially excluded groups was reduced, resulting in a 10% funding reduction to supported housing and 50% to floating support.
But Ms Tester applauds GBC as “the most responsible council in Surrey”. She wants the council to put pressure on other boroughs because Guildford cannot cope with the demand alone. She believes a way to prevent homelessness is to look at the real needs of people and see homeless people as a collective problem rather than regarding them as a failure of society.
The council’s homelessness strategy might take up this idea because it aims to identify practical ways in which it can make a difference, in particular, it says by “using the ideas of people who are experiencing, or have experienced homelessness”.
The Homelessness Act 2002 requires the council to review area homelessness at least every five years to develop a preventive strategy.
Cllr Philip Brooker
This year, the council is preparing for Universal Credit, maximising access to money advice and other support services to attack homelessness. Philip Brooker (Con, Merrow), lead councillor for housing and development management, said: “We need to ensure there are services providing timely advice and support to help people manage, promoting the importance of health and wellbeing and encouraging participation in local communities.”
But both Cllr Reeves and Ms Tester stress the failure of mental health support and the lack of strategy in this sector. Rough sleepers with health problems are often discharged after treatment without a follow-up, thus leaving only a temporary fix to their problems. And an increasing number of homeless cannot access services due to their behaviour.
Drug use also seems to be on the rise in Guildford, and intoxicated people are not allowed in a night shelter. That is another point both police and council must address in the homelessness prevention policy.
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Jim Allen
October 22, 2018 at 10:31 am
Interesting. Are these homeless people previous residents of Guildford who have fallen through the gaps or outsiders hoping to get a home in our community? The long-term homeless need different treatment than those temporarily homeless.
I wonder just how many on the social housing list actual need a home and how many of the 6,000 plus homes destined to be built under the new Local Plan will be specifically allocated for these homeless people? Nowhere in the Local Plan policies did I read 2,600 homes will be built specifically for those on the housing list. Should we be building up to 16,000 houses (who knows what the actual number will be) in the next 15 years if none are specifically allocated to the homeless? So many questions remain unanswered.
Paul Bishop
October 23, 2018 at 8:54 am
The old affordable housing policy was 35% of all new builds to be affordable but I’m pretty sure this has increased to 40%. So, if 6,000 new homes are built it will make a big dent in the required number of affordable homes.
However, this needs the council to properly enforce the 35-40% rule and not let developers “run out of money” at the last stages of the development and get let off completing all the affordable houses.
John Perkins
October 23, 2018 at 5:13 pm
As “affordable” will mean at least £300,000, probably a lot more, it’s rather academic how many are actually built. Social housing would be much more helpful.
Paul Bishop
October 24, 2018 at 7:38 am
‘Affordable housing’ is a bit of a catch-all phrase these days. It actually covers subsidised housing, social rented, shared ownership, intermediate housing and affordable rented housing.
The fundamental underlying requirement is that it is only made available to specifically eligible residents. It isn’t just houses with a reduced price.
A Atkinson
October 24, 2018 at 8:04 pm
For planning purposes, the definition of “affordable housing” is quite specific and essentially it means 20% cheaper than the market prices for the area in question. Not really that affordable for most. I agree with Mr Bishop, the term is bandied around without reference to the real definition and it will not help the people it is often claimed it will.
From the http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7747/CBP-7747.pdf
“Defining affordable housing for planning purposes Local planning authorities may require developers to include an element of affordable housing on a site as a condition of granting planning permission. These planning obligations, sometimes known as section 106 agreements or – affordable housing levies -, are legally enforceable obligations entered into under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to mitigate the impacts of a development proposal.9 The current definition of affordable housing is found in Annex 2 to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, July 2018). The definition incorporates social rented housing, housing let at affordable rents and low-cost home ownership products:
“Affordable housing: housing for sale or rent, for those whose needs are not met by the market (including housing that provides a subsidised route to home ownership and/or is for essential local workers); and which complies with one or more of the following definitions:
a) Affordable housing for rent: meets all of the following conditions: (a) the rent is set in accordance with the Government’s rent policy for Social Rent or Affordable Rent, or is at least 20% below local market rents (including service charges where applicable); (b) the landlord is a registered provider, except where it is included as part of a Build to Rent scheme (in which case the landlord need not be a registered provider); and (c) it includes provisions to remain at an affordable price for future eligible households, or for the subsidy to be recycled for alternative affordable housing provision.
b) Starter homes: is as specified in Sections 2 and 3 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 and any secondary legislation made under these sections. The definition of a starter home should reflect the meaning set out in statute and any such secondary legislation at the time of plan-preparation or decision-making. Where secondary legislation has the effect of limiting a household’s eligibility to purchase a starter home to those with a particular maximum level of household income, those restrictions should be used.
c) Discounted market sales housing: is that sold at a discount of at least 20% below local market value. Eligibility is determined with regard to local incomes and local house prices. Provisions should be in place to ensure housing remains at a discount for future eligible households.
d) Other affordable routes to home ownership: is housing provided for sale that provides a route to ownership for those who could not achieve home ownership through the market. It includes shared ownership, relevant equity loans, other low cost homes for sale (at a price equivalent to at least 20% below local market value) and rent to buy (which includes a period of intermediate rent). Where public grant funding is provided, there should be provisions for the homes to remain at an affordable price for future eligible households, or for any receipts to be recycled for alternative affordable housing provision, or refunded to Government or the relevant authority specified in the funding
Paul Bishop
October 25, 2018 at 1:51 pm
GBC do actually specify their interpretation of “affordable housing” in the 2015-2020 housing strategy document. In the appendix, it is specifically defined as: “Affordable housing is subsidised housing provided at below market rates, and includes social rented, shared ownership, intermediate housing, and affordable Rent.
It is provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. Affordable housing should be available at a cost low enough for eligible households to afford determined with regard to local income and house prices.”
Jules Cranwell
October 25, 2018 at 11:48 am
A Atkinson is spot on.
Unfortunately, the GBC Executive has done nothing to promote social housing in their discredited Local Plan.
Instead, they persist in the need to build nearly three times more homes than the ONS data suggests, with some “affordable” homes at 80% of market rates. This does nothing at all to address homelessness. They should be ashamed.
Plus, with the get-out-of-jail card they have handed the developers, on the grounds of financial viability, it is doubtful if many, or indeed any “affordable” units will be built.
David Roberts
October 26, 2018 at 3:58 pm
How about some cheap housing that is really “affordable”? The word has lost its meaning.