House of Commons Library briefing on access to services for rough sleepers in England

This paper provides an overview of the support and services - including accommodation, health, welfare, training, employment and voter registration - that are available for rough sleepers, and the challenges rough sleepers can face in accessing them -

http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7698

You cant accuse them of not joining things up….........

“Uncertainties over supported housing funding”

“The Government’s policy of social housing rent reductions and a cap on the amount of rent that housing benefit will cover in the social rented sector to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate is a particular concern for homelessness services. Homelessness organisations have said that if implemented these measures could have significant implications for their viability. The Chief Executive of Homeless Link (the umbrella organisation for homeless charities, has stated:
When you have got a situation where significant numbers of our member organisations are telling us that they will either close, or have to drastically reduce their housing provision to vulnerable people, then it has to be taken really seriously.
The losses will be in the tens of millions of pounds. For a lot of organisations it will make the difference between continuing to house homeless and vulnerable people and not doing that.79”

“The Government has announced a one-year delay in applying these measures to the supported housing sector, pending the outcome of an evidence review by DWP and DCLG. The results of this review, expected to be published in autumn 2016, will influence future policy development.”

“Following its inquiry into homelessness, the House of Commons Communities and Local Government (CLG) Committee recommended that:
The Government should exempt all supported accommodation schemes from the proposed rent cut so that those with multiple complex needs can continue to receive the help they need from these vital services. The outcomes of the current review of supported accommodation should be announced as soon as possible in order to give providers the certainty they need to plan ahead and deliver services.80”

“The CLG Committee is awaiting the Government’s response to its report.”

It then invites you to read the recently published research briefing on supported housing…..........

Everybody is saying the same thing they need to crack on with the review, or the outcome will be even more homelessness….