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Government issues delayed guidance on homelessness prevention
The government has said it will provide an extra £14.7m for homelessness prevention.
It made the announcement as it issued delayed guidance to councils on implementing the Homelessness Reduction Act.
The act, which comes into force in April 2018, requires councils to provide services to anyone at risk of becoming homeless. Of the new funding, £11.7m will be added to the amount available for local authorities facing new burdens, bringing the total up to £72.7m over two years.
The remaining £3m will support local authorities in upgrading their data systems to take into account the new requirements.
The release comes a month after Sir Steve Bullock, executive member for housing at London Councils and mayor of Lewisham, wrote to the government saying councils were still waiting on “much delayed information”.
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An eight-week consultation period will now follow and councils will be encouraged to give their views on the best ways to make information about homelessness available to all, to tailor advice to fit the needs of vulnerable groups, to work together with homeless people, to provide help to those who might be considered ‘intentionally homeless’ and to secure accommodation for people who are homeless.
The guidance includes advice to councils on how to form a new homelessness strategy as required under the act. It advises local authorities to collaborate across boundaries and, on occasion, produce sub-regional homelessness strategies. It also covers issues relating to homeless survivors of domestic abuse, how to determine which homeless people are in ‘priority need’ and how to deal with people leaving care facilities.
Marcus Jones, the minister with responsibility for homelessness, said: “Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is a complex issue with no single solution, but this government is determined to help the most vulnerable in society.
“Local authorities play a vital role in implementing the act. Therefore the guidance and government funding will support them in making sure people will get the help they need earlier to prevent them becoming homeless in the first place.”
The guidance is available here.
