Agenda Reports Pack (Public) 15/10/2012, 19.00 - Meetings ...

Building a Housing Ladder of Opportunity - Homelessness Strategy2. Reviewing the Council and its Partners’ Approach to HomelessnessPreventionEvidence Base Headline Findings2.1 Drawing on the information set out in Annex 2, the following headline findingscan be highlighted:• The number of homelessness approaches reached a peak of 2,891 in2008/09 reducing to 2,521 in 2010/11.• The majority of homelessness approaches since 2007/08 have beenfrom non-white ethnic backgrounds• Approaches from the 16-24 year old age cohort has slightly risen from668 in 2007/08 to 730 in 2010/11, reaching a peak of 1,001 approachesin 2008/09. Approaches from the 25-44 year old cohort in 2007/08totalled 1,136 increasing to 1,281 in 2010/11 which included a peak of1,371 approaches in 2008/09• The number of approaches from pensioner age (65+ year old) is arelatively small cohort of 60 (2.7% of total) in 2007/08 up to 67 in2010/11 (2.7% of total)• Of 2,225 approaches in 2007/08, 252 (11.3%) were accepted ashomeless. Of 2,521 approaches in 2010/11, 164 (6.5%) were acceptedas homeless• The large majority of reasons for accepted homelessness wereexclusions from the parental/relative’s home; loss of rentedaccommodation; and violence related relationship breakdown• The largest cohort of homelessness acceptances were female loneparents• The priority need for those accepted as homeless were 126 (50% ofaccepted total) for a dependent child (or children) in 2007/08 and 91(55% of accepted total) in 2010/11. Other acceptances includedapplicant or partner pregnant; applicant aged 16/17 years old; and,other vulnerable categories.• The number of households in temporary accommodation had fallenfrom 1,200 households in 2007/08 to 888 in 2010/11. However, byDecember 2011 (i.e., end of 2011/12 Q3), the number had risen to 968households• Within the temporary accommodation total figure, use of private sectorand housing association sector housing was in decline with a relativelyminor increase in bed & breakfast accommodation• The number of homelessness preventions was 554 in 2007/08 and 546in 2010/112.2 In conclusion, the above information indicates that the Council has beenrelatively effective in addressing homelessness approaches, using a range ofsources of temporary accommodation to house those in need. The cohorts ofhomelessness approaches tended to be from the younger age groups; fromethnic minority backgrounds; acceptances skewed towards those approachesfeaturing a child’s or children’s needs; applicant or partner pregnant; applicant4Page 449