This strategic aim is about early intervention to prevent homelessness and make this event a rare occurrence. To ensure that we can target our interventions, we need to understand the causes of homelessness in Gateshead. As part of the process of developing this strategy, we have collected and analysed data for the homelessness review.
The analysis of the data shows there are multiple causes of homelessness including domestic abuse, discharge from the armed forces, loss of employment, relationship breakdown, family disputes, mental health problems and substance misuse.
Domestic violence is a primary cause of homelessness, followed by friends or family no longer willing, or able, to accommodate. 475 households were owed a homelessness duty during 19/20 due to experiencing domestic abuse and 345 households due to family and friends no longer willing, or able, to accommodate. Ending private rented tenancies is another significant reason for homelessness, affecting 282 households.
We also need to understand the barriers and causes of homelessness from the person's perspective, including finding triggers to understand early intervention. Such indicators could include incidences of antisocial behaviour, overcrowded households and criminal activity. Gateshead could develop a number of indicators to enable early interventions. There is also scope to include the risk of homelessness as a central part of safeguarding, for instance the checklist of issues.
Some individuals will only require access to accommodation, while others will require support as well as accommodation. It is essential that those who require support receive appropriate services, including supported housing if required, to break the cycle of homelessness.
There were 1,283 households with one or more support needs owed a homelessness duty during 2019/20. Mental health issues were the most significant support need related to homelessness, with 676 households having a history of mental health problems.
Continued investment in floating support is required to enable tenancy sustainment and prevent homelessness. Floating support can be either provided at the point an individual moves into a tenancy to support their transition to independence, or to intervene where an existing tenancy is failing. As floating support is tenure neutral, it can be provided to people who are at risk of homelessness in all types of tenure.
There needs to be timely interventions at points of transition for those who are homeless, e.g. leaving care, release from prison, discharge from hospital, discharge from the armed forces. Protocols are an important mechanism for providing clarity about the responsibilities of different agencies. Although there are existing protocols in place in relation to the Duty to Refer, further awareness raising may be needed so that partners use the Duty to Refer.
There needs to be prevention and early intervention in relation to domestic abuse to prevent homelessness. The option of remaining at home with extra security needs to be considered, as well as adopting a broader approach to preventing domestic abuse, e.g. public education. Currently Gateshead funds security features, although the funding available is only short term. An electronic directory of services will enable the public and professionals to search for accommodation and support services. An electronic directory should include the full range of community services, as well as those provided or commissioned by the local authority, for example Liverpool and Knowsley's Live Well Directory (opens new window).
Making the Council's front door as accessible as possible for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness will be essential. This may include publicising the Housing Options Service and how to access it.
Many of the actions set out below are dependent on our partners. We will encourage our partners to sign up to the Homelessness Charter, which will help ensure that they make a commitment to the implementation of this strategy.
Actions
Providing flexible responsive services, including housing advice, at an early stage - the front door needs to be open to meet people's needs and to direct them quickly.
Develop a Homelessness Forum to drive forward the vision and aims of this strategy.
Mapping services to develop an electronic directory so that the public and professionals know what is available to enable early intervention.
Promote the Homelessness Charter to enable partners to become more engaged with the prevention of homelessness.
Work with partner registered providers and other landlords to prevent evictions and tenancy breakdowns, including those in supported housing.
Develop the private sector homelessness prevention model, including reviewing pathways, processes and outcomes.
Develop clearer pathways into accommodation and support which read across to the allocation process, with a holistic homelessness and allocations service.
Timely interventions, pathways and protocols for people in transition from prison, hospital, leaving care and the armed forces, to prevent homelessness.
Develop youth homelessness joint protocols for 16-17 year-olds and care leavers and ensure compliance with relevant accommodation-related guidance.
Increase the awareness of partners to use existing protocols in relation to Duty to Refer to ensure that these agencies are working together with the Council.
Develop protocols with health to assist with prioritising access to substance misuse and specialist mental health services for those who are homeless and in temporary accommodation/supported housing and for those who require wraparound support in mainstream housing.
Early intervention and prevention of homelessness in relation to domestic abuse - including providing mainstream funding to enable households to remain at home with extra security and outreach support.
Feed into the locality review to ensure that housing and support services are developed to best meet local needs in terms of homelessness prevention.
Work in partnership to ensure that assessments are not being duplicated and services are connected.
Develop a simple set of indicators to enable early intervention where there is a potential risk of homelessness.
Use data to understand why people have given up their tenancy, to build up a better overall picture of early intervention.
Proactive work to intervene early to prevent homelessness, including work with schools.
How will we measure success?
No one is homeless when they leave a state institution, such as prison or the care system.
Everyone who is immediately threatened with homelessness gets the help that prevents it from happening.
Everyone known to be at greater risk of homelessness due to affordability or vulnerabilities is proactively targeted with advice and support to reduce the possibility that they become threatened with homelessness at an earlier opportunity than 56 days.
