Supporting vulnerable people to access and maintain housing

Approach to prevent homelessness

Given financial pressures local authorities are facing and the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, we must do more, earlier for people experiencing homelessness. A "whole system" change in approach is required. There will need to be even greater emphasis on partnership work, early housing advice prevention and early intervention and a move away from a reliance on crisis intervention. A whole range of approaches will be necessary and these are outlined in the council's Rough Sleeper and Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2022-2027.

Whilst our focus will be on prevention and early intervention, there is an acknowledgement that we will need to consider options for pathways into accommodation. Whilst access to crisis accommodation is important, it is equally important that these spaces are "freed up" and there is a clear pathway to a permanent home.

In many cases there is a need for Housing First models or supported accommodation, including accommodation that offers specialist support for certain vulnerable groups such as young people, women and girls, people with multiple and complex needs, and families. Levels of support will differ depending on need and at times this may be floating support. There will also be an emphasis on reducing our reliance on private unsupported temporary accommodation (hostels) and introducing more "move on" accommodation so temporary accommodation is just that.

We will:

Develop strong multi agency partnerships as part of the strategic governance structure to deliver to drive Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-27
Map support services throughout the city in relation to need and location for those experiencing homelessness and look to fund provision where there are gaps
Look to work in partnership with public health colleagues around health inequalities that have widened since Covid-19 pandemic, carrying out a refreshed health needs assessment in partnership with those experiencing homelessness within the city
Work with voluntary and community sector partners and regionally to ensure we are preventing homelessness as early as possible throughout the region, acknowledging the transience of some households
Review the "front door" to housing advice and assistance offered by the council to effectively manage cases and put resource where it is most needed
Identify opportunities to fund accommodation and support via the council's Housing Management function and local homelessness support providers
Tackle the exploitation of some vulnerable households staying in "exempt accommodation" via a multi-agency approach and identify funding to resource a proactive team to target rogue landlords in this capacity

Cost of living crisis

The cost of living crisis has exacerbated levels of poverty and Crisis research published in March 2022 showed that some families are facing an average £372 deficit between their Local Housing Allowance and the cost of the cheapest rents in their local areas.

This current crisis combined with existing problems such as low wages, rising rents and a lack of affordable housing has created a perfect storm for people who were already struggling.

With limited social housing to go around, more and more people are living in the private rented sector paying record high rents which is eating up over 30% of their income. All these factors increase the risk of someone being forced into homelessness when faced with rising costs of household bills and necessities.

With inflation set to peak in winter 2022 and the energy price cap due to rise yet again in the Autumn it is clear that some households will be facing the very real challenges of homelessness.

We will:

Work with residents on schemes such as Eviction Prevention Support Service to intervene where landlords may look to evict due to rent arrears, providing mediation and financial support to prevent this
Deliver a package of financial support measures to assist our most vulnerable residents; such as Discretionary Housing Payment, Welfare Assistance Scheme and Disabled Facilities Grants
Work with our RP partners to establish the true cost of poverty for both tenants and housing associations and collaborate on solutions to mitigate the effects on them

Domestic abuse

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 aims to respond to domestic abuse in England by:

Strengthening the support available to victims through statutory agencies
Improving the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in protecting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice
Raising awareness of the impacts of domestic abuse
Addressing the inconsistent approach to the commissioning and delivery of support within safe accommodation
Reducing fragmentation of services and a postcode lottery which may determine whether survivors and their children receive help
The introduction of a statutory duty on local authorities to provide support that meets the diverse needs of victims of domestic abuse and their children, ensuring they have access to provision that is right for them

Sunderland has a range of safe accommodation-based support available for survivors of domestic abuse. This consists of a blend of 'traditional' refuge, a recovery unit for women with additional needs, dispersed accommodation and sanctuary scheme. Survivors who access these services are primarily resident in Sunderland.

Wearside Women in Need is currently the primary provider of safe accommodation and support in Sunderland which is commissioned by the council.

The Safe Accommodation Strategy for Sunderland identifies gaps in provision:

Direct therapeutic work with children
Capacity issues are evident re counselling and group work programmes given the need for waiting lists
The level of demand re safe accommodation exceeds the available bed space/units available within Sunderland
If there is an increase in the number of units / properties made available to offer safe accommodation this may require an increase in resources providing specialist outreach support
Specialist clinical support for survivors with mental ill health and or active substance abuse behaviours
Trauma informed culturally informed services for survivors with protected characteristics notably black and minoritised women, LGBT+ survivors, and those with a disability
Limited safe accommodation with wheelchair access and adaptations for survivors and or children with limited mobility
Provision able to accommodate survivors who are actively engaged in risky behaviour which puts them at immediate risk and those around them, for example, significant substance abuse and continued relationships with perpetrators to support their risky behaviour

Pathways of accommodation for the removal of perpetrators from households which would enable survivors to secure sanctuary services, and engage with specialist support services which aid recovery for survivors and their children.

We will:

Work with the Domestic Abuse Violence Against Women and Girls (DAVAWG) board to ensure the delivery of units of safe accommodation as per Domestic Abuse Act 2017
Contribute to a robust needs assessment to establish the need for provision within the city
Employ a dedicated housing team to support survivors of domestic abuse
Establish a clear reporting line between the DAVAWG Executive Board and Housing Strategy Review Group and be held accountable to deliver the Safe Accommodation Strategy Strategic Priorities 2021-2024

Young people and care leavers

Young people who are also care leavers are supported by Together for Children with support from Housing Services to make the transition from care to living independently. There is currently a range of semi-supported accommodation options that young people can access that meet the multiple needs of vulnerable homeless young people and care leavers. There is a recognised challenge in support for young people with multiple and complex needs (especially care leavers) and the council with Together for Children are jointly commissioning provision to meet this need both through supported accommodation and a Housing First approach. There is also an issue with young people being evicted from supported accommodation and this needs to be addressed. Homeless young people or those at risk of homelessness ready for their own tenancies receive priority banding through the council's and Gentoo's Housing Allocations Schemes. There can be issues with affordability for young people receiving Universal Credit so the council is working with landlords to look at how Discretionary Housing Payments can be used more flexibility and also looking at employment opportunities for young people so that they can afford the rent.

We will:

Look at solutions to affordability for under 35s receiving Universal Credit by having representation from DWP at strategic subgroup level
Work innovatively with funding streams to plug gaps in affordability, deposits or rent arrears
Monitor joint protocol arrangements and provide education around tenancy sustainment for young people and care leavers

Asylum seekers and refugees

The city welcomes asylum seekers. Accommodation for asylum seekers is commissioned by the Home Office and delivered by the Mears Group on its behalf. Sunderland is under the proposed maximum ratio of asylum seekers to the settled community which is 1:200. The key challenge to ensure that asylum seeker accommodation is suitable and is dispersed throughout the city. Should asylum seekers get a positive decision to remain the council's housing team works with them to secure more permanent accommodation.

Most recently Sunderland has become a City of Sanctuary. We want to create a welcoming environment for those seeking sanctuary in Sunderland.

We will:

Provide a dedicated team to support refugees into suitable housing
Cintinue to work closely with the voluntary sector in Sunderland to support asylum seekers and refugees
Signpost and provide services with partners for those requiring this, including health, education, employment and welfare benefits
Work with the Home Office and its partners to provide a smooth pathway for asylum seekers who are granted leave to remain and wish to stay in Sunderland

Gypsies and Travellers

Sunderland is home to three Travelling Show person yards, accommodating 100 permanent plots for the city's Travelling Show people families. The South Tyneside and Sunderland Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment 2017 plus the Addendum dated March 2018 identifies a need for a further 33 plots in the city by 2033. The assessment also identifies that there are no Gypsy and Travellers residing permanently in caravans in the city and there are no future requirements for pitches. However there is a history of unauthorised camping by Gypsy and Traveller communities and the assessment identifies that as the encampments are small in size, then a tolerated unauthorised encampment procedure might prove more effective, rather than a dedicated stop-over site. This approach is within the council's Unauthorised Encampment Policy 2021, which again was fully reviewed in 2022.

We will:

Provide a dedicated team to strengthen relationships between the community and the council
Review our policy and procedures annually to make sure we support those travelling through the city
Have a dedicated page on Sunderland's website to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities towards this protected group of people
Continue to work with partners to ensure that support is given to those temporarily staying in the city