Transcript 'Resettling single homeless people: the challenges of policy changes and needed adjustments'

Resettling single homeless people: the
challenges of policy changes and
needed adjustments
Maureen Crane (King’s College London)
Tony Warnes (University of Sheffield)
Working Together to End Homelessness and Rough Sleeping,
Inside Government Conference, London, 8 December 2011
The FOR-HOME study
 Longitudinal study (2007-2010) of the resettlement of single
homeless people into permanent accommodation.
 Sample of 400 people in two clusters: London, and
Nottinghamshire / Yorkshire.
 Interviewed immediately before being resettled, and after 6 and
18 months. Key-worker completed questionnaire at baseline.
 Partners in the study: Broadway, Centrepoint, St Mungo’s and
Thames Reach in London; Framework in Nottingham; and St
Anne’s in South Yorkshire.
 Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
Housing outcomes
and difficulties faced
Experiences of living independently
 For many, the transition was not easy. 48% had never
previously had a tenancy, including 85% aged 17-24 years.
 Most (78%) glad to have moved: gained independence and
privacy; had control of their own accommodation; and able to
start afresh and rebuild their life.
 Over time, many decorated their accommodation, and
gradually acquired furniture and furnishings and created ‘a
home’. Some got a new job, or started education or training
courses. Several renewed contact with family and children.
Housing outcomes at 15/18 months (%)
100
Original housing
87
81
80
Percentage of respondents
New tenancy
79
No tenancy
60
47
40
31
22
20
14
5
14
5
8
7
0
Local
authority
Housing
Private rented
association
All
Excludes 4 people who died and 25 unknown if still in a tenancy
Managing finances
 Most reliant on social security benefits and had low incomes.
 Managing finances was major problem. Associated with low
income, high utility costs, high rents in private-rented sector,
buying things for their home, paying debts, interruptions in
social security benefits, poor budgeting skills and financial
planning.
 Rent arrears and other debts increased over time, particularly
among private renters.
Percentages with debts by tenure
90
83
when resettled
Percentage of respondents
15/18 months
67
66
65
60
45
46
44
45
30
0
Local authority
Housing
association
Private rented
Housing tenure
All
Average rent arrears (£s) by tenure
350
305
300
6 months
15/18 months
Pounds (£s)
250
187
200
150
131
110
105
100
61
50
42
38
0
Local authority
Housing
association
Private rented
Housing tenure
All
Gaining employment
 Many were keen to get a job but found it hard. 23% had full- or
part-time jobs when resettled. 29% had jobs at 18 months.
 Great deal of movement in and out of work – 62% worked at
some time after being rehoused. Many jobs were casual or
through an agency, insecure, and low paid. Stopping and
starting work affected payment of HB and other benefits
 Those who worked ‘intermittently’ most likely to accrue rent
arrears, be threatened with eviction and taken to court. Those
‘consistently unemployed’ protected by HB.
 16% attended course through Job Centre – for most, did not
lead to secure employment.
Support from services once rehoused
 Only one-half received support from a tenancy support (TS)
worker.
 Young people least likely to have a TS worker yet most likely to
have no experience of independent-living. Only 27% aged 1724 had a TS worker (12% in London).
 Some without a TS sought help from their former hostel when
having difficulties. Tended not to present until problems
serious and tenancies at risk. Staff not always have time to
assist if require a great deal of help.
What is
needed
What is needed (i)
 Given the reduced availability of social housing, and
increased reliance on private-rented accommodation for
resettlement, well-managed private-rented schemes are
needed that provide more than an accommodation vacancy.
They need to monitor tenants’ progress, and provide or
arrange advice and support.
 Help with debt management and improved financial advice
and planning before homeless people are resettled, with
more attention to financial implications of living
independently and intended life choices, e.g. entering fulltime education or taking part-time or temporary work.
What is needed (ii)
 More assistance for resettled homeless people with few job
skills or who have been out of work for some time to obtain
training and employment. Also advice about benefit
entitlements and changes when starting or stopping work or
training.
 Improved allocation of tenancy support services to target
those most in need. Better access to advice and help for
those without a tenancy support worker.
Our warm thanks to …
All the respondents who participated in this study over a very
long time.
Ruby Fu, Camilla Mercer and Louise Joly who helped massively
with running the project and coding the data.
The freelance interviewers – Gary Bellamy, Paul Gilsenan, Louise
Joly and John Miles.
Members of the Management Committee: David Fisher
(Broadway), Caroline Day and Jennifer Monfort (Centrepoint),
Peter Radage and Rachel Harding (Framework), Julie Robinson
and Tony Beech (St Anne’s), Simon Hughes and George Miller (St
Mungo’s), and John Crowther and Debra Ives (Thames Reach),
and to all their colleagues who have been Link Workers or have
otherwise assisted with recruitment and tracking.
Contact details
Maureen Crane: [email protected]
Tony Warnes: [email protected]
Final report published 11 May 2011. Available at:
www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/kpi/scwru/res/roles/resettling