Housing Corporation News Release

8 April 2008        27/08

Homelessness Action Team extended for another year

The Homelessness Action Team, the joint project between the Housing Corporation and Communities and Local Government, has been extended for another 12 months to the end of March 2009 due to the success of its first year's work, the Housing Corporation announced today (8 April 2008).

The team's main aim is to reduce homelessness and the number of households in temporary accommodation, contributing to the Government target to halve this figure by 2010, and to disseminate best practice. The team has a national remit with a particular focus on London.  

The Homelessness Action Team has carried out a wide-ranging programme to tackle homelessness, with key highlights including:

• publishing the Homelessness Toolkit for use by the housing association sector
• working with housing associations on their strategies to combat homelessness resulting in 63 associations appointing homelessness champions
• facilitating effective partnership working between local authorities and housing associations to develop joint responses to homelessness and make the best use of stock.

During the Homelessness Action Team's first year, numbers in temporary accommodation have reduced nationally by 10,000.  In London, numbers in temporary accommodation have reduced by 7%, homelessness acceptances have been reduced by 16%, and the number of 16 and 17 year-olds in bed and breakfast hostels have reduced from over 500 to less than 300.

Rona Nicholson, Director of the Housing Corporation's London Field, and the Corporation's lead on tackling homelessness comments, "I am delighted that the Homelessness Action Team has made such an impact in its first year and that it has gained a further year's joint funding. 

"Clearly there is much more that needs to be done to tackle homelessness both in London and across the country, as we move further towards meeting the Government targets.  I am confident that the team's excellent work with housing associations and local authorities nation wide, and especially in London, will continue to make a real difference to peoples' success in tackling homelessness across the country,  helping transform peoples' lives for the better."

Terri Alafat, Director of Housing Strategy and Support at Communities and Local Government said, "We have made very significant progress in tackling all forms of homelessness over the last year.  This includes reducing levels of homelessness acceptances, the use of temporary accommodation and, in particular, cutting youth homelessness.   We have halved the number of 16 and 17 year olds living in bed and breakfast hotels since September last year, and local authorities are well on their way to meeting the Government target of no 16 and 17 year olds in bed and breakfast hotels by 2010.  Local housing authorities deserve much credit for these successes.
"There is still much work to be done to ensure that those who are considered the most disadvantaged are given the opportunity to become part of a more inclusive society, but this is a task that the Government, local authorities, housing associations and the Housing Corporation are committed to."

Ends.

For more press information please contact Nicole Davey 020 7393 2118

Notes for Editors:

1) Nationally the number of households in temporary accommodation have reduced by over 10,000 over the last 12 months (latest CLG statistics as at 31 December 2007).

2) Households in temporary accommodation in London reduced from 60,960 in 31 December 2006 to 56,740 at 31 December 2007, a 7% reduction in London since the HAT team started 12 months ago

3)During the same time frame there's been a 16% reduction in homelessness acceptances in London - 16,240 in 2006 down to 13,650 to 2007 through the Homelessness Action Team supporting London Local Authorities in tackling and preventing homelessness.

4)The Homelessness Action Team has also worked towards reducing the number of 16 and 17 year-olds in B&B, to meet the CLG priority to have no 16 and 17 year-olds in B&B by 2010.  The number of 16 and 17 year-olds have reduced form over 500 in London 12 months ago to currently 289, and 11 London Local Authorities are now reporting no 16 or 16 or 17 year-olds in B&Bs (Lambeth, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kingston upon Thames, Bexley,  Camden, Islington, Barnet, City of London, Havering, Westminster standard notes on the Housing Corporation

5)The Housing Corporation is responsible for regulating housing associations, which provide some two million homes across England. 

6)The Housing Corporation is the Government's national affordable homes agency, responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating nearly 2,000 housing associations across England. The Corporation's £8.4 billion investment programme for 2008-11 is its biggest ever. Its previous investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 is funding 84,000 homes; 49,000 of these are for affordable rent, and 35,000 are for affordable sale through the Government's HomeBuy initiatives, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.

7) The Corporation announced £3.3 billion allocations on 26 February 2008. This is 38% of the NAHP 2008-11 budget of £8.4 billion across the three-year programme and includes new allocations and existing commitments which will deliver completions in 2008-11. The new allocations total £2.1 billion, including £300 million for Open Market HomeBuy and £1.8 billion for new build homes for affordable rent and affordable sale. Allocation for specialist housing for older people is £125 million, providing 1,900 homes for affordable rent and 500 homes for affordable sale.
8) The Housing Corporation is working with English Partnerships and Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed Homes and Communities Agency and Office for Tenants and Social Landlords.