Agenda item

Dan Kennedy – Corporate Director of Residents’ Services, Adam Stephenson – Assistant Director – Housing Needs & Homelessness and Debby Weller – Head of Housing Strategy & Policy were in attendance to respond to Members’ questions in relation to the Homeless Prevention Review update report.

Members raised concerns regarding the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act on 1 May and recent media reporting suggesting that landlords were exiting the private rented sector, potentially increasing pressures on tenants and homelessness services. They asked whether any such impacts had been observed locally and what mitigation measures were in place to address a possible rise in homelessness.

In response, officers advised that the introduction of the Act had been anticipated for some time and that evictions from the private rented sector had already been a significant driver of homelessness for a prolonged period. Members heard that, while landlord exit from the market had been widely discussed, the causes were complex and not attributable solely to the legislation. It was reported that nationally there were indications that private sector evictions and property sales were beginning to slow as the Act came into force, and it was hoped that a similar pattern would be seen locally. It was further stated that some properties sold had not necessarily left the private rented sector but had transferred from smaller landlords to more institutional landlords. Officers therefore advised that the situation required continued monitoring but was not considered as severe as initially feared. It was also confirmed that a cross?departmental working group had been established to oversee implementation of the Act, ensure staff awareness of the changes, and monitor impacts on enforcement and housing services.

Members enquired about homelessness prevention activity and the most common reasons for prevention attempts failing. Officers explained that residents approached the service for a range of reasons and that the principal drivers of homelessness in the Borough included private sector evictions, family exclusion, domestic abuse and households leaving Home Office accommodation. In some circumstances, such as domestic abuse or family exclusion, prevention was not always viable as households were already homeless, and support was instead focused on planned rehousing. In relation to preventing private rented sector evictions, it was stated that prevention could be unsuccessful due to factors such as rental inflation driven by interest rates and wider market pressures, leading to rent levels becoming unaffordable. Internal factors, including staff confidence and training, were also identified, with improvements expected through forthcoming service restructuring and training.

The Committee welcomed the improved ability to forecast the use of nightly?paid temporary accommodation and asked whether empty Council?owned properties, which were incurring council tax charges, could be better utilised to reduce reliance on bed and breakfast accommodation. It was confirmed that maximising use of all available accommodation was a priority. It was explained that some Council?owned properties required significant refurbishment before use, while others formed part of regeneration or disposal programmes and could only be used temporarily. Officers advised that opportunities to use such properties as temporary accommodation were taken wherever feasible, subject to condition and safety requirements.

Councillors observed that homelessness data should be presented alongside comparative figures from neighbouring boroughs to provide broader context. Officers welcomed the suggestion and agreed to take it into account going forward.

Clarification was sought on timescales for improving case management processes and avoiding delays, as referenced in the report. It was explained that processing targets had been introduced for key statutory assessments, supported by training and performance data, and that improvements had already been achieved. It was noted that a new IT system was being implemented and would be configured to support further efficiency improvements. Officers advised that system design work was underway and expected to continue until approximately November, with implementation anticipated in the latter part of the financial year or early in the following year.

RESOLVED: That the Select Committee: Noted the progress in implementing the Committee’s recommendations relating to the major Homeless Prevention and Customer Journey Review.