Select Committee on Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Written Evidence


Memorandum by Carlisle City Council (HOM 04)

  The press release sent out by the ODPM in relation to the enquiry into Homelessness made specific reference to the following issues:

    —  The overall level and nature of need for housing for homelessness people.

    —  The success of policies meeting the needs of homeless households.

    —  The adequacy of investment in housing for homeless and the quality of accommodation available for them.

    —  Factors affecting the successful Implementation of the Homelessness Act 2002.

    —  The location of provision for homeless people relative to where they live.

    —  The balance of public investment in housing for key workers and homeless people.

    —  Priority for the homeless within the overall allocation of social housing.

    —  Whether the non-housing services provided for homeless people are adequate and are co-ordinated with housing provision.

    —  Whether public agencies are effective in preventing people becoming homeless.

BACKGROUND

  Carlisle City Council is a district authority serving a population of 100,000 people. The Council transferred its housing stock of 7,300 houses to Carlisle Housing Association (CHA) on 9 December 2004. The council retained its statutory Homelessness function and currently manages 60 units of temporary accommodation for Homeless people.

  The city of Carlisle is located in the County of Cumbria close to the English/Scottish border. The local authority district of Carlisle, which includes both the city of Carlisle and the surrounding rural hinterland, covers some 618 square kilometres, making it one of England's largest cities geographically. Although in population terms, the district of Carlisle is predominately urban—70% of the districts population of 100,750 (Census 2001) live in the city itself—in geographic terms the district is largely rural—98% of 603 square kilometres of the district is classified as rural.

  Carlisle is situated adjacent to the M6 motorway and close to the major East-West routes of the A69 and A66. The railway station in the centre of the city is one of the stops on the West Coast Main Line. Glasgow and Manchester, with their international airports, are less than two hours away while Newcastle airport is just over an hour away by road.

  As one would expect in a major city, Carlisle provides a full range of health services, including those provided by the recently-built Cumberland Infirmary.

  Carlisle has a modern, indoor shopping centre, which attracts visitors from the whole of Cumbria and also south-west Scotland. The pedestrianised shopping area is the scene for colourful events and lively entertainment and the award winning Tullie House museum and Carlisle Cathedral are also close by. The Sands Centre is home to a large sports centre and leisure complex, also offering a wide range of arts and cultural events. Sporting activities are well catered for with several health clubs, a swimming pool, golf course, racecourse and professional football club.

  Carlisle is a relatively prosperous city with an unemployment rate of 2.3 (claimant count average 2003) lower than the Cumbrian and national rates. Of those employed, 63% are in full time work and 37% in part time work (Annual Business Inquiry 2002) together with 78% of the jobs of the jobs being within the service sector and 18% being within the manufacturing sector. There are 3,900 businesses operating in the area of which 79% employ 10 or less people and 1% employ 200 or more people (Annual Business Inquiry 2002). Gross weekly earnings are £374 for full time employees and £141 for part time employees, which averages out at £301 (New Earnings Survey 2003).

  The city has a number of secondary, further and higher educational establishments. The city is proposing to establish itself as a "Learning City" and is due to experience a growth within the higher education sector with an estimated 6,000 students in the city by 2010.

  In 2001 the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease affected Cumbria with 197 cases being within the Carlisle area—9.7% of the UK total. The disease is estimated to have cost the Cumbria economy £255 million and to have placed 15,500 jobs at risk in the County.

HOMELESS: LEVEL AND NATURE

  Between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2002, the City Council made a total of 97 homelessness decisions, of these 39 were accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need and were directly assisted to find secure permanent accommodation by means of nomination to a Housing provider, while 58 who applied for help were offered advice and assistance. For the year 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, the figures were 414 homelessness decisions, of which 182 were accepted and 232 offered advice and assistance.


  The number of people approaching the authority and making homelessness declarations has increased by 427%. The authority has seen the number of acceptances rise by 466% and the number of applicants offered advice and assistance rise by 400%. Of the 182 acceptances between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2004, 25 (14.5%) fall within the additional categories introduced by the Homelessness Act 2002 as follows:
16-17 year old homeless applications 12
18-21 year old leaving care who are former relevant children 1
A person who is vulnerable as a result of being looked after, accommodated or fostered 2
A person who is vulnerable as a result of having been a member of Her Majesty's Forces 0
A person who is vulnerable as a result of serving a custodial sentence 1
A person who is vulnerable as a result of violence or threat of violence 9


  An analysis of the 182 acceptances shows that the three single largest causes of homelessness in the district are parents no longer willing to accommodate 26 (14%), violent breakdown of relationship involving partners 22 (12%) and loss of private rented accommodation 37 (20%).

SUCCESS OF POLICIES

  Our policy is to offer temporary accommodation to those in need with the duty to accommodate those in a "priority need" taking precedence. Where possible we exercise our power to accommodate those who are deemed "non-priority". Problems locally are made worse by Housing Associations to (whom we are reliant for nominating persons for permanent re-housing) either not turning their empty properties into a ready to let state (due to funding shortages) or choosing who they want to house. Social and private sector landlords require references and look carefully at clients records before offering housing. As a high percentage of our clients have histories of rent arrears, anti-social behaviour and past or continuing mental health issues or drug/alcohol problems.

  Access to permanent housing and problems regarding the joining up of support services between agencies are the main issues and to date these appear to be increasing as the number of social housing units reduces through the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme. Success of policies on Homelessness can be measured against this increase.

INVESTMENT

  There is a lack of accommodation for homeless people and investment seems scant. Most new affordable housing within the district is accessed through section 106 agreements but most Homeless people do not have recourse to funding to access these properties. The number of rented social housing units is reducing through the RTB and access to public funding through Social Housing Grant (SHG) for building new social housing no longer is available.

  If lets are made to homeless nominations then they are likely to be in a low demand area where the quality is sometimes poor. As well as adequate levels of investment within housing stock, support services need to be adequately funded and the loss of social units through the RTB addressed.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOMELESSNESS ACT 2002

  The Homelessness Act 2002 widened the number of categories and has increased the pressure on local authorities to deal with clients who have ever increasing support needs and complex histories. Factors hindering success in dealing with these clients surround the excessive referral by agencies of clients to us, inadequately joined up and funded support provision, clients conditions which render living in the community a difficult option to implement and decreasing access to permanent housing.

LOCATION

  Choice in the location of housing although a preferred option to present to clients, the reality is that housing availability is very restricted and the location is often not negotiable.

INVESTMENT

  Comments as under Investment section above.

NON-HOUSING SERVICES

  As stated in some of the paragraphs above the lack of available accommodation and support services linked to accommodation hampers service delivery to a number of our clients. The support services that have been funded under the Supporting people programme are often underfunded and fragmented in their delivery. Contracts mean that the flexibility to develop services is hindered as reconfigurated services are seen as new services, which cannot be funded and existing services could have their funding questioned.

PUBLIC AGENCIES

  Often there are to many agencies offering advise but not able to provide what the client needs which is accommodation or finance. The preventative agenda often leads to Homelessness being delayed as opposed to dealing with the real problems of to many agencies involved and fragmented, under resourced services being available. The taking of responsibility is not always shared by organisations.





 
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