Housing Corporation News Release

New project to help housing associations and private landlords tackle homelessness announced

31 January 2007      Media Contact: Naomi Evans 020 7393 2118        ref: 10/07

Unlocking the potential supply of properties in the private rented sector to combat homelessness is the aim of a new project sponsored by the Housing Corporation.

The Corporation’s recent Homelessness Strategy sets out a commitment to better use of existing homes, both social and privately owned, and to providing more homes for renting to people in housing need.  This includes encouraging housing associations to work with the private sector to reduce temporary accommodation.

The new project will look at how associations and private landlords work together, and at the barriers to closer working.  The Corporation has commissioned management consultancy Campbell Tickell to research what is happening on the ground, and report back on good practice that will help deliver more homes for rent.  The report will also include a ‘toolkit’ of ideas and resources to help associations and private landlords work together.

Housing Corporation Director of Policy and Communications, Matt Leach, said, “Some housing associations and private landlords have a strong track record of working together to make homes available for homeless people, but some find it a difficult and uncertain area.  We are committed to changing that.  This project will help us do so.”

An expert advisory group for the project will shortly hold its first meeting.  A survey of housing associations, landlords and others, will be carried out during February, followed by further research. The project report will be published later this year.

Any organisation or individual who has useful information or ideas to feed into the exercise is invited to contact the project team at Campbell Tickell at e-mail holly@campbelltickell.com.

Ends.

Notes to editors:
1) The Government’s homelessness strategy – Sustainable Communities: settled homes; changing lives was published on 14 March 2005.

The strategy takes forward innovative measures announced in ODPM’s 5 year plan Sustainable Communities: Homes for All, supported by increased investment in homelessness prevention from £60 million in 2005/06 to £74 million in 2007/08. It includes a target to cut the number of households living in temporary accommodation by half by 2010 also sets out steps to provide more settled homes and initiatives across Government departments to tackle the wider symptoms and causes of homelessness, including action on health, employment, relationship breakdown, services for children and other associated issues.

2) The Housing Corporation has made tackling homelessness a priority and in November 2006 published its own homelessness strategy.

The creation of a new London homelessness action team created by Communities and Local Government and the Housing Corporation to support the work of London's local authorities and housing associations in preventing and tackling homeless has also been announced this month (press release ref: 06/2007).

3) Campbell Tickell is a management consultancy with particular expertise in all aspects of social housing.  The practice was established in 1998, and has worked with more than 200 organisations, on strategic, policy and operational matters.  It has conducted a number of policy reviews, evaluations and other assignments for the Housing Corporation.  For further information contact Greg Campbell at Campbell Tickell, telephone 020 8830 6777, e-mail greg@campbelltickell.com.

4) The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating over 1,500 housing association across England.  It biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 will fund 84,000 homes; 49,000 of these will be for affordable rent, and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.

5) The Housing Corporation is working with English Partnerships and Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed new national housing and regeneration agency, Communities England.