Councillor's answers on homelessness

For reasons of space her responses could not be printed in full in our paper edition of Wednesday January 20.

Here is the full unedited interview:

Question: Your strategy document says we need to consider innovative solutions to prevent homelessness.

Are there any plans to build on successful schemes such as shipping container housing (as in Preston Circus) or prefabricated homes (as in Lewes)?

Answer: Warren Morgan has been clear in stating that we are developing plans to develop 2,000 affordable homes in the next two years.

We are exploring many ways to do this while bearing in mind various practical requirements such as site assessments and finances.

I would like to stress this is not just in the council’s remit to deliver, for example, the container development was championed by Brighton Housing Trust.

Most sites are owned privately and we are happy to work with developers and housing providers to look at what can be achieved.

The rough sleeping position paper looks at how we can help people on the street receive support quickly and how we can join with professional partners in the city to make the best use of limited resources.

There are many immediate needs for those living rough and we are looking at the full range of support which is required.

Question: St Mungo’s Broadway has won the tender to provide the street outreach service, on the basis of an expected 20% reduction in rough sleepers, but the strategy document expects homelessness to increase.
Will St Mungo’s deliver within budget?

Answer: We are under no illusion that the city faces an incredible challenge.
Welfare reform, budget cuts, and the continued rise in property prices are resulting in many more families and individuals facing a housing crisis.

We will work with our partners to prevent homelessness and support residents within the resources available to us.

St Mungo’s Broadway is an incredibly experienced organisation which has developed through their work in London and elsewhere.

We are confident that we can work together to meet the challenge ahead.

Question: How confident are you will achieve the council’s aim that no-one needs to sleep rough in B&H by 2020?

Answer: I’d like to make clear that this is not only our aim.

There is wide-ranging support for meeting this challenge and a sense of purpose in that we should be able to help the most vulnerable in our city.

Residents, business and volunteers do not want to see people sleeping rough suffering on our streets.

If we all work together to prevent homelessness and support those on the streets in getting the help they need, then we will achieve this aim for the good of all.

The new Labour administration has made rough sleeping one of our main priorities and we will do everything we can, with our partners, to get on top of this problem.

However, we are working in a context of massive cuts to local authority budgets and a county wide housing crisis so it is going to be very challenging.

Question: What plans does the council have to supplement funding for transitional accommodation which will be cut as a result of the Autumn statement?

Answer: The autumn statement saw the government announce a cap on social rents to housing benefit levels in the private sector.

Supported housing, by the very nature of the need to provide support and a different type of accommodation, often costs more than the standard housing benefit limit.

If supported housing is not exempt from this benefit change, housing schemes across the whole country will become unviable and have to close.

This will lead to more homelessness for the most vulnerable such as those with learning disabilities, mental health needs, physical disabilities, older people, younger people, those with drug and alcohol problems.

As soon as the government announces its intentions, we will be able to assess the likely impact locally and make plans to mitigate where possible.

Question: What advice would you give residents who want to help homeless people on the city’s streets?

Answer: I would commend the many local residents who are caring and expressing their willingness to help.

If they would like to make a financial contribution, St Mungo’s Broadway has a JustGiving page for Brighton & Hove to help those rough sleeping locally.

This way residents can feel confident their money will be spent on supporting the person sleeping rough to move forward in a positive way.

A referral service is available to link up people living rough with outreach workers who can help them.

If you see anyone sleeping rough you can let Streetlink know at www.streetlink.org.uk or by calling 0300 500 0914 and they will share the details with professional organisations who will check up on the person in need.

Many of our charities are seeking volunteers and can advise on how best to make donations, such as sleeping bags and warm clothes, reach those most in need.

The link to the St Mungo’s fundraising page is:
http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/mungosbroadway/helpmakechangecount

Question: Do you agree that the best thing to do for the 60% of rough sleepers without ties to B&H is to get them back to the area they are from?

Answer: This is a difficult one to answer.

On one hand, we should be helping all those in need, but at the same time, we are being faced with severe budget reductions.

For someone to successfully move away from the streets and not return a few months later, life has to have a purpose and meaning.

This is often achieved through friends, family, education and work.

The best networks for this may be where people have grown-up or lived for some time.

In those circumstances we try to provide the way home by linking up with the relevant local authority to make sure they have somewhere to go.

There are circumstances where this would not be appropriate, such as if someone has fled abuse.

Each case is different and the circumstances need looking at on an individual basis.