Housing Bulletin - Winter 2012 - Islington Council

www.islington.gov.uk
Housing
Winter
2012
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ptions
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Housing Aid Centre
wishes everybody
a happy holiday

Housingoptionsbulletin Winter 2012
NEWS 2
Housing Aid Centre Christmas and New Year 2012/13
Housing Solutions and Housing
Options
The Housing Aid Centre (HAC) will
be closed from 4pm on Monday 24
December and will reopen at 12 noon on
Wednesday 2 January 2013
All the services usually provided at HAC
will not be available during this time:
• Housing advice and prevention of
homelessness
• The housing options service and choice
based lettings
During the time that the office is closed
an emergency telephone service is
available for people who are homeless
and are unable to find alternative
accommodation.
The emergency phone service can
be accessed via the Council’s main
switchboard on 020 7527 2000.
Choice Based Lettings
The last advert for this year for choice
based lettings will be published on Thursday
20 December 2012, but bidding will
not close until midnight on Tuesday 1
January 2013. The first advert for 2013
will be published on Thursday 10 January
2013.
For more information contact Karen Lucas,
Head of Housing Needs, on 020 7527 6310 or
email karen.lucas@islington.gov.uk

Housingoptionsbulletin Winter 2012
NEWS 3
Household Benefit Caps
The government is implementing
Household Benefit caps from 1 April 2013.
The total weekly income from benefits,
including housing benefit, will be capped
at:
• £500 for single parents and couples with
children
• £500 for couples without children
• £350 for single people without children
This means that the maximum amount
of benefits a couple or household with
children will receive is £500 per week; this
amount will have to cover the rent as well
as all other living expenses for the whole
household.
No allowance will be made for the number
of children in the household or the area
and type of accommodation a household
lives in. The caps will apply to working age
households out of work, i.e. those under
61 years old.
The main way to be exempt from the cap
is to take up employment. People in receipt
of certain benefits, such as Disability Living
Allowance or Attendance Allowance will
also be exempt from the cap.
The council has established that
approximately 280 households living
in temporary accommodation will be
affected by the caps and see a reduction
in their benefits from 1 April 2013, and
will be unlikely to be able to remain in
their current accommodation. In addition,
around 170 households placed in private
rented sector to prevent homelessness are
also expected to be affected.
The council is in the process of contacting
each affected household in temporary
accommodation to discuss the options
open to them, and find a sustainable
solution for them. For many this will mean
moving to a property with a lower rent,
which may be some distance away.
For more Information contact Irna Van
Der Palen, Head of Private Housing
Partnerships, on 020 7527 6079 or email
Irna.VanDerPalen@islington.gov.uk

Housingoptionsbulletin Winter 2012
NEWS 4
Islington Winter Shelters
Shelter Name:
Venue:
Quaker Open Christmas
Union Chapel
Bed Capacity: 25
Date of Operation: 23 December 2012 to 1 January 2013
Criteria/ Details:
Referral Process:
Key Contact(s):
Guest registration document to be completed for
each client and forwarded via email or fax to Key
Contact with a follow- up call to the shelter line to
determine appropriateness, risk and availability.
Kate Mellor - Quaker Homeless Action
Howard Garrick - Pillion Trust
Shelter Line: 07790485822
Shelter Name:
Shelter Me! - New Year Bridge
Venue:
Union Chapel
Bed Capacity: 25
Date of Operation: 30 and 31 December 2012
Criteria/ Details:
Serves as bridge between the closing of the Quaker
Open Christmas project and the opening of the CARIS
church shelter circuit.
Referral Process:
Key Contact(s):
Guest registration document to be completed
and forwarded via email only Key Contact with
a follow-up call to the shelter line to determine
appropriateness, risk and availability.
Howard Garrick - Pilion Trust
Shelter Line: 07790485822
Email: Howard.MC@piliontrust.org.uk
Fax: 020 7700 2542

Housingoptionsbulletin Winter 2012
NEWS 5
Islington Winter Shelters (cont.)
Shelter Name:
Venue:
CARIS Circuit
9 Church Venues in and around Islington
Bed Capacity: 15
Date of Operation: From 1 January to 31 March 2013
Criteria/ Details:
Will take pan-London referrals, if appropriate, with
priority given to those with links to the borough.
This includes those with NRPF, asylum-seekers and
refugees. Note: the church shelter network now
extends to 23 London boroughs - we work to ensure
that, wherever possible, referrals are directed or
redirected where they are accessing services and/
or have beneficial social/ professional support
networks. Guests eat and sleep in communal church
building spaces, most partitioned off for female
guests although some churchs have separate room
for women. No pets. No couples. Guests must sign
an agreement which is an invitation to extend on
consultation with referring agent.
Referral Process:
Guest registration document to be completed for
each client and forwarded via email or fax to Key
Contact with a follow- up call to the shelter line to
determine appropriateness, risk and availability.
Key Contact(s):
Mark Brennan - Project Coordinator
Email: iccws@hotmail.co.uk
Shelter Line: 07913020738
For more information contact Karen Lucas,
Head of Housing Needs, on 020 7527 6310 or
email karen.lucas@islington.gov.uk

Housingoptionsbulletin Winter 2012
USEFUL C NTACTS 6
Islington Benefits Office
T 0207 527 4990
E benefits.service@islington.gov.uk
W www.islington.gov.uk/housing
Private Housing Partnerships
Ian Tagg
T 0207 527 6078
E landlord.enquiries@islington.gov.uk
W www.islington.gov.uk/housing
Housing Aid Centre
The service is run by Islington
Council and can offer face-toface,
telephone, internet support
and advice about finding a home.
The Housing Aid Centre is open:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday,
Friday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 12pm - 4pm
Northway House
257 Upper Street
London N1 1RU
T 0207 527 2000
F 020 7527 6307
M 0800 073 0536
E advice.housing@islington.gov.uk
W www.islington.gov.uk/housing
Area Housing Offices
Highbury House Housing Area
T 020 7527 5300
Holland Walk Housing Area
T 020 7527 7480
Old Street Housing Area
T 020 7527 6250
Housing Direct to report
repairs
T 0800 694 3344
T 0207 527 5400
W www.islington.gov.uk/housing
We would like our partner agencies
to contribute with articles.
Contributing to the
Housing Options
The article only needs to be about 100 to 150
words. It could be a general overview of an
organisation, or highlighting a service which would
be of interest to other agencies in islington.
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If you are interested in writing an article, please
contact Karen Lucas on 020 7527 6310 or email
karen.lucas@islington.gov.uk
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