Decision Maker: Head of Strategic Housing
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
The Head of Strategic Housing has agreed an
operational change to redirect resources of up to 5 homes per year
from Sussex Oakleaf (who no longer operate a supported housing
service in Crawley), to Crawley Open House, a local hostel.
In return, the Council would be assisting Crawley Open House with
the throughput of vacancies so that other homeless applicants who
need shelter and with a local connection to Crawley are better
placed to access the homeless hostel. This also includes residents
who approach the Council for assistance and who are not eligible
for emergency temporary accommodation.
Crawley Open House (COH) is a day centre and hostel with shared
kitchens, bathrooms and laundry facilities. Residents, over the age
of 18 and have a local connection to Crawley, are assisted with
benefit claims, encouraged to manage their own finances, to seek
employment and where appropriate to access help from outside
agencies.
COH is the only hostel providing accommodation and support in the
borough and therefore demand for their services is high.
When residents of COH are ready they are supported into move on
accommodation owned and managed by the charity. COH own and manage
3 move on houses accommodating up to 15 residents at any given
time. However, from there when they are ready for independent
living, tenants have to find their own accommodation which can
prove difficult in the current climate. Being able to access
settled and affordable accommodation is crucial to enable
throughput and ensure a move on pathway exists for single homeless
people in Crawley.
The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 came into force in April 2018
and significantly changed the way in which local authorities
deliver services to people who are homeless or threatened with
homelessness. It shifted the focus towards early intervention and
the prevention or relief of homelessness, and for local
authorities, having clear housing pathways for people (especially
single homeless people with support needs) is vital if the use and
cost of nightly paid temporary accommodation is to be
minimised.
The Allocations Scheme currently allows up to 5 units per year of
Council accommodation to be allocated to applicants who have been
accepted onto the Sussexoakleaf tenancy support service. As this
particular project no longer exists in its original form in the
borough it is proposed that it be redirected to COH residents
instead.
By diverting the direct lets to COH, the Council will greatly
assist with increasing the throughput of vacancies at the hostel so
that more homeless residents who approach the Council will be able
to access the temporary accommodation.
The minor change to the wording of the scheme will also assist the
Council to achieve more pathways for single homeless people (who
may also be sleeping rough), without the need for expensive nightly
paid temporary accommodation in line with the Homeless Reduction
Act.
Following consultation on 2nd April 2019 with
the Cabinet Member for Housing and in accordance with Delegation
7.1.5 of the Divisions Sub-Delegation Scheme the Head of Strategic
Housing agreed with the recommendation and confirmed that the minor
amendments to the Housing Allocations Scheme set out in the
briefing paper shall take effect on Monday 8th April 2019.
The scheme be amended to remove the direct
lets to SOHA who no longer require them and to redirect up to 5
properties per year to residents of COH who are ready for
independent living.
Not implementing the minor changes to the wording of the scheme
would mean the Council could not assist applicants into social
rented housing who were ready to move out of shared housing
facilities.
The current wording would also be obsolete as Sussex Oakleaf no
longer operate the tenancy support service in the borough.
Publication date: 08/04/2019
Date of decision: 02/04/2019
Accompanying Documents: