How can you improve access to social housing for move on? Using a series of real examples this page makes some suggestions for consideration in your area.
Housing Corporation Strategy
In 2006 the Housing Corporation published Tackling Homelessness a strategy detailing how housing associations should make homelessness a corporate priority.
The document recognises the strategic leadership role of local councils and states that housing associations should ‘actively engage with local authorities at both strategic and operational levels’ and ‘either individually or collectively agree with local authorities...how they will contribute to the development and delivery of...strategies to tackle homelessness’ (p6).
The strategy suggests that ‘homelessness action plans’ should be developed by housing associations for this purpose and include agreed plans to aid move on, including measures to ‘tackle homelessness among client groups that do not easily fit within established arrangements’ (non-priority homeless clients, among others).
Housing associations should also address issues of access by engaging collectively with local authorities to ‘agree locally appropriate levels of nominations’ and develop lettings policies to ensure that ‘exclusions are absolutely the last option in the allocation decision-making process’
Do you know how your local authority and housing associations are responding to this strategy?
In Autumn 2007 Herefordshire Council and nine Registered Social Landlords signed a Homelessness Prevention Protocol.
The protocol aims to tackle homelessness among RSL tenants and improve access to potentially excluded tenants through improved co-operation and partnership between the Council and the housing associations involved.
Such co-operation is a central element of the Housing Corporation’s strategy, Tackling Homelessness, and the local authority prevention agenda.
The protocol clearly outlines responsibilities for the Council and housing associations over 5 key areas:
A Homelessness Partnership Prevention Meeting will be set up to enhance communication between partners and help deliver the responsibilities contained in the protocol.
For further information or a copy of the protocol please contact Tara Roche at troche@herefordshire.gov.uk
If you have an example of good practice to be added please contact oliver.hilbery@homelesslink.org.uk