To receive the report of Joanne Drew, Strategic Director of Housing and Regeneration / Richard Sorensen, Head of the Housing Advisory Service, to provide an update on the implementation of the National Placement Policy.
Minutes:
Cllr Ayten Guzel, Cabinet Member for Housing, provided an introduction to the report which set out an update on the implementation of the National Placement Policy. The housing crisis in London and beyond had a major impact. Placing homeless households in hotel accommodation was unsuitable and costly. The supply of privately rented accommodation continued to reduce. The Council had adopted a new Placement Policy from June 2023, amended in November 2023, to offer private rented accommodation on a national basis. As a result there had been a sustained fall in the use of hotel accommodation. Officers confirmed the high demand for assistance and the growing gap between benefits and rents, and did not see any other way forward than to continue this policy.
Questions were invited from the Panel.
In response to Members’ queries, it was confirmed that where someone was employed in the borough in stable employment, that would be taken into account and that some accommodation was still secured locally. In respect of accommodation in other areas, a suitability assessment was carried out to try to match each household’s needs and the location, and a three stage appeal process was available. Contact was maintained with Enfield Council at the beginning, and Enfield still had a duty if the family became homeless within two years. Members suggested there should be a standard timeframe (at potentially 3 or 6 months afterwards) for a follow-up process on the placements, while acknowledging that the priority of the service was to prevent homelessness. The Cabinet Member and officers confirmed that a way to follow up would be investigated.
It was confirmed that transport links were also taken into consideration in placing households, and how easy the area was to reach from Enfield and for the family to establish themselves permanently and to create a new life there. The tenancy agreement on the property would be between the landlord and the tenant, for a minimum of two years.
In response to further queries, officers confirmed that the gap between rents and benefits was now so extreme that almost no privately rented accommodation in London and the South East was going to be affordable. The Council had to look further and further afield for accommodation as the scale of the crisis had grown and the supply shortage of properties worsened. Many private landlords had also left the market. Lobbying of the government by councils including Enfield continued. Additional funding was expected from April 2025: details of our allocation were awaited.
Officers provided further clarification to Members that legislation was based on councils would be discharging their duty using the private rented sector, and there was a need for a fundamental review of how the homelessness system worked across the UK. The Council had to explore all options including long term leasing of properties and purchasing properties in more affordable areas of the country.
Officers clarified the definition of temporary accommodation, and that beyond six weeks the council was more restricted in what would be considered suitable accommodation. Difficulty in finding temporary accommodation in Enfield was also exacerbated by other authorities also making use of properties in the borough.
Officers also provided clarification on the find your home scheme. This was not confined to the borough and did provide assistance to secure a private rented property, but it was difficult for anyone to find an affordable rent. The national placement policy however had incentivised people to look very hard and to consider many options, but realistic options were limited.
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