Presentation given by David Corner, UK National Audit Office, at a FEANTSA seminar on "Glocalisation of homeless policies? How local authorities can strengthen their homeless strategies through transnational cooperation", Committee of the Regions, May 2006

1. Homelessness in England:
Delivering national policy through local
strategies
David Corner
Director
Regions, Regeneration & Renewal
Globalisation of Homeless Policies: FEANTSA
Seminar
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2. About the National Audit Office
 Supreme audit institution
 Value for money and financial audit
 To provide independent information, assurance
and advice to Parliament on the use of public
resources
 To help promote better financial management
and value for money
 £8:£1
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3. Homelessness in England: the policy
and delivery framework
1 Homelessness and Housing Support
Directorate
9 Government Offices in the Regions
354 Local Authorities
500+ Voluntary and Community Sector
Organisations
2000+ Registered Social Landlords
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4. Homelessness: The problem
 Statutory versus non-
statutory homelessness
 136,000 acceptances in
2003: up 37% since 1997
 Temporary
accommodation:
100,000 households in
2004, up 250% since 1997
 £1 billion a year
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5. What we looked at:
 Progress of the
Homelessness Directorate:
– in encouraging a strategic
approach
– against two targets
– in developing cross-
government working
 ‘More than a roof: Progress
in tackling homelessness’
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6. The targets : a success story
 Rough sleeping:
– 500 in 2004
– Down 70% since 1998
 Bed & Breakfast:
– 6,700 March 2002
– No families in B&B for longer than six weeks by
March 2004
– 28 households March 2004
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7. Encouraging a strategic approach
locally
 ‘More than a Roof’
 2002 Homelessness Act
– Local strategies
– Liaison with other agencies
 Guidance from OPDM
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8. Evaluation of quality of strategies
 Reviews of local homelessness upon
which strategies were based:
– Obtained and analysed data on full range of
homelessness needs
– Evaluated success of existing services,
especially prevention and tenancy support
– Considered all homeless people
– Social Services took part
– Consulted Black and Minority Ethnic groups
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9. Evaluation of quality of strategies
 The strategies themselves:
– Included strategic objectives: Clear and
precise
– Considered needs of non-statutorily homeless
– Evaluated usefulness of schemes
– Considered how to avoid Bed and Breakfast,
even if not currently using it
– Addressed rough sleeping: Going beyond
temporary accommodation
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10. Evaluation of quality of strategies
 The action plans:
– Strong monitoring and evaluation
arrangements
– SMART objectives included: enables
monitoring
– Responsibilities and timetables well defined
– Identified the resources required to fulfil
strategy
– Considered the full range of funding
opportunities
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11. Impact of strategies on
homelessness
 Raised profile
 Stronger partnerships
 Changes in approach
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12. Examples:
 Carlisle: Multi-agency
working
 Hammersmith & Fulham:
offering solutions rather
than processing
applications
 Doncaster: Homelessness
Prevention Services
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13. Carlisle: Multi-agency working
 County wide review of homelessness services –
six authorities, one strategy
 Cumbria homelessness forum
 Multi-agency:
– Support services; social care, crime, legal
– Young people’s services
– Health services
– Advisory services;
– Housing providers
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14. Hammersmith & Fulham: offering solutions
rather than processing applications
Before:
 Requests for help dealt with by Homelessness
Officer
 Applied law; gatekeeper to social housing; poor
internal liaison
After:
 Requests for help dealt with by an ‘Options’ advisor
 Full assessment of housing options; range of
solutions offered; support needs addressed at same
time
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15. Doncaster: Homelessness Prevention
Services
 Loss of tenancy major cause of homelessness
 New prevention team
 Publicised service with all types of landlords
 Integrated service covers:
– Financial advice: arrears, debt, benefits, Council Tax
– Signposting to other services, including tenancy
support
– Controlling tenancy end: mediation, eviction issues
– Finding alternatives: securing alternative
accommodation, referrals to bond guarantee
schemes
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16. Other impacts
 Quality of accommodation
– ‘It’s much better.. I mean it’s
MUCH better than the Bed &
Breakfast, definitely…’
– ‘I’ve got two bedrooms, a nice
living room… a toilet, a
bathroom. It’s not my ideal
home, but it’s nice’
 24,000 families not exposed
to Bed & Breakfast
 Financial savings £40+ million
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17. Conclusions
 Wider range of services, for more client
groups
 Local authorities address local issues more
effectively
 ODPM policy pushed through the delivery
chain
 Services increasingly ‘joined-up’
 Better value for money
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18. Thank you
 Email: David.corner@nao.gsi.gov.uk
 ‘More than a roof: Progress in tackling
homelessness’
download from:
www.nao.org.uk/publications/index.htm
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