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Opening up the private rented
sector for offenders
A briefing for
staff working with homeless offenders
September 2012
Aims
• Reinforce the advantages & importance of
the private rented sector (PRS)
• Provide guidance on how to make it work for
your offenders
• Outline the role of PRS access agencies
• Highlight what you can do, and how others
can help you
• Introduce new guides for helping offenders
access the PRS
Why the PRS matters
• Can be a fast housing option in some areas
• Gives choice over location and property types
• Greater flexibility – not subject to same Local
Authority control as social housing
• Opportunity for ‘fresh start’ away from negative peer
influences
• Service charges often cheaper than hostels important for those wanting to return to work
• Avoids the stigma sometimes associated with
hostels
• Can give greater personal privacy than some hostels
• Can sometimes be better quality than social housing
• Most realistic choice in areas of high housing
Characteristics:
• Fastest growing section of the housing market
• Owned and let by private individuals or companies
• Profit is the primary driver – but landlords will
sometimes forgo income for a stable/safe letting
• Can be leased by social landlords & let as a form of
social housing – called ‘private sector leasing’ (PSL)
• Less security of tenure than social housing – but
landlords generally want long term tenants
• Benefit only payable up to price of shared PRS
accommodation for most under 35 yrs old
• PRS access agencies act as a route in for low
income households
How it compares
Potential barriers:
• Unrealistic expectations and/or negative perceptions (of
offenders and staff)
• Landlords usually want one month’s rent in advance plus
one months rent as deposit
• Landlords reluctant to take tenants perceived to be risky
with regards to rent/charge payment or anti-social
behaviour
• Offenders may lack the knowledge/skills to present
themselves well to landlords
• Offender managers/supervisors may lack the time and/or
knowledge to support access to PRS
PRS access agencies...
• Get to know local market & what motivates landlords
• Build relationships with landlords so as to create access
for low income households – in some cases managing
properties for them
• Will value referrers who share relevant information so
risks can be managed and landlords retained
• Address the financial barriers e.g. help with deposits; help
to get benefits in place fast
• May give pre or post tenancy support to avoid tenancy
breakdown
• Will have criteria specifying who they can help
• Can be found at www.privaterentedsector.org.uk or via the
local housing authority
Promoting the PRS
• Highlight all the potential advantages of the PRS
• Have a realistic idea of how it compares (on price, ease
of access, location, quality) with other local options – get
housing options staff to brief you
• Acknowledge potential downsides and barriers to PRS...
but make sure you are informed about how they can be
addressed
• Very important that offenders receive consistent
messages from all those advising them
• Encourage partners to reinforce these messages in their
work with offenders
Building capacity:
• Taking preventative action can prevent tenancy loss,
poor housing record, sense of failure
• Assess needs of each offender in relation to:
- Tenancy management and sustainment skills (paying rent
and bills; caring for property; being considerate neighbour)
- Affordability
- Ability to share accommodation with others
- Risks to self or others from sharing accommodation
• Highlight strengths as well as vulnerabilities
• Find out which local agencies offer pre & post tenancy
support
• Think about how the OLASS & other training
programmes can support tenancy related skills e.g.
budgeting
Pre & post tenancy support
• Advice on presenting yourself well to private landlords
should be covered for all
• A tenancy ‘health check’ 6-8 weeks after rehousing can
prevent early problems escalating
• Some PRS access agencies provide pre and/or post
tenancy support
• Local housing associations or local authorities may run
tenancy skills courses
• Local housing options teams can advise on what
tenancy support is available and to whom
• Utilise skills development via OLASS
Planning for release
• Time in custody is an important opportunity to address
housing barriers
• Prisoners should be encouraged to minimise debt and
begin saving
• Evidence of ability to save can be seen positively by
landlords/PRS access agencies
• Facilitate pre-release housing interviews via video link or
ROTL facilities
• Try to arrange short term accommodation on release
B&B, hostel, supportive family) if PRS tenancy not
immediately available
Benefits and affordability
• Huge changes underway in benefits system
• Universal Credit due to be introduced in Oct 2013 for
new claimants with ‘housing costs element’ in place of
housing benefit (calculated in similar way)
• Housing costs element priced for cheapest third of PRS
market
• Most single people <35 yrs will have housing element
priced to pay for costs of shared accommodation in PRS
• Exceptions to the shared accommodation rate inc:
- MAPPA offenders aged 25-34 subject to level 2 or 3 management
- Care leavers aged under 22
- People entitled to Severe Disability Premium
- Claimants 25-34 yrs who have spent 3+ months in homeless hostel
Managing risks to....
• Tailor pre and post housing support to identified risks to:
- Offender: tenancy failure & poor housing record; harm or
exploitation; relapse or reoffending
- Neighbours/sharers: anti-social behaviour; exploitation/harm
- Landlord: property damage; income loss; violence/threats
- Wider public: offending/harm
• Sharing information with others can enable risks to be
managed
• Encourage offenders to ask for help early by highlighting
that this is positive behaviour
• Housing work with MAPPA clients must have the
approval of the MAPPA panel
Sharing information
• Sharing info must be necessary and proportionate to
risks of harm or with consent of offender unless required
by law
• Encourage offenders to give consent to help others to
assist them with housing & support needs
• Remind landlords and others you share sensitive info
with about their own obligations under Data Protection &
Human Rights legislation
• Only share information with those who “need to know” in
order to manage risks or deliver the right support
• Don’t allow your wish to secure accommodation for the
offender override risks to them or others from not sharing
info
Key partners
• PRS Access Agencies
• Local Authority lead on PRS within local
authority
• Floating support or pre-tenancy support
providers
• LA Housing Options teams
Discussion:
• How much of this are you doing already?
• Which bits could you do better?
• What partnerships do you need to build to be
more effective in supporting access to PRS?
• What partnerships do you need to support
tenancy sustainment?
• Who will do what, and by when, in your team?
• How will you know if the steps you have taken
have made a difference?
More information
• Find PRS access agencies at
www.privaterentedsector.org.uk
• Find summary guidance at
www.crisis.org.uk/offessentials
• Find detailed guidance at
www.crisis.org.uk/offguide
• Details of PRS rent levels eligible for benefit:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/diol1/doitonline/dg_
196239