Until theres a home for everyone Daniel Blake
Until there’s a home for everyone Daniel Blake Operations Manager South e: daniel_blake@shelter. org. uk t: @danielblake 68 261 October 2021
Shelter’s work § We provide support to people facing housing and homelessness issues across the country, through face-to-face services, digital advice, and our helpline – Hub Centres in major cities § We campaign to strengthen the housing safety net, improve the private rented sector, and get more affordable homes built § KEEP, ACCESS, IMPROVE – Focus on prevention § 50 th Year – How Much has changed? 2
What’s happening? 3
Affordability crisis § Average house prices in England Wales are now almost nine times average earnings. § Private renters spend almost half of their take home pay on rent § Housing benefit decoupled from PRS market § ‘Pay to Stay’ proposals could see market rents introduced in the social sector for households earning over set thresholds 4
Overview of the housing crisis § Average house prices in England Wales are now almost nine times average earnings. § The number of priority need households accepted as homeless in the last year was 40 per cent higher than five years ago § Almost 70, 000 households are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England § Over 100, 000 children without a home § 1. 24 million households were on social housing waiting lists last year 5
Scale of the problem 6
Welfare and Family Reform 7
The key issues • Research conducted by Shelter shows that reforms to Local Housing Allowance and the Benefit Cap will make significant parts of the country unaffordable to low income families in receipt of housing benefit. • This won’t just effect large families in London and the South East, but families with one or two children across many parts of the country. • Cuts to housing support for 18 -21 s and a cap on housing benefit in the social rented sector will be disastrous for young people and the provision of supported accommodation. • As a new wave of welfare reforms comes online – at a time when the supply of social housing is contracting and private renting is becoming more and more expensive – things are only going to get worse for low income households. • We know from the majority of councils that existing welfare reforms have already contributed to the steady increase in homelessness across England. 8
Freeze to Local Housing Allowance Shelter’s key ask: The government should review the four year freeze to housing benefit in the private rented sector to ensure that this keeps up with market rents. A targeted affordability fund should be made available in areas where rents are especially high – for example London and parts of the South East. 9
Lowering the Benefit Cap Shelter’s key ask: Statutory homeless households – typically familiesliving in temporary accommodation should be exempted from the benefit cap. To avoid the most harmful impacts, key groups should be exempted from the policy, for example: those excluded or estranged from their family; those experiencing, or recently experienced homelessness; those with dependents. 10
18 -21 s Shelter’s key ask: We urgently need to see a better understanding of the impact of this policy, in particular on key groups, such as young people and homeless people living in supported housing. The government must publish a full impact assessment so the full scale of this policy can be understand. 11
Housing Benefit cap in the social rented sector Shelter key ask (same as with 18 -21 s): We urgently need to see a better understanding of the impact of this policy, in particular on key groups, such as young people and homeless people living in supported housing. The government must publish a full impact assessment so the full scale of this policy can be understand. 12
How can we fix it? 13
More affordable homes § Supply is currently nowhere near meeting demand § We need more and better new homes § We need to get both the private and the public sector building in order to achieve the scale of delivery we need § Products like Starter Homes must run alongside, not instead of building more affordable homes. 14
Changes to homelessness § Improved practice from councils: - Out of area placements are increasing – practice is mixed - Support for non-priority clients - Handling of intentionally homeless cases § Greater emphasis on homeless prevention - Not just funding, but culture change. Although supply is the challenge § Changes to homeless legislation - Changes in Wales are generally positive, but some concerns. 15
- Slides: 15