Fighting homelessness
Dartford Borough Council's housing team is using a range of initiatives to help those facing homelessness to find accommodation in the private rented sector (PRS).
Dartford is committed to tackling acute housing issues with a preventative policy. This focuses on helping people before they become a priority case.
Marie Gerald, Housing Options and Advice Team Leader, says:
"Helping people into a private sector tenancy and advising them on how to sustain it can help prevent future housing crises. The team provides non-priority cases with as much assistance and support as possible to prevent them from becoming homeless."
Hidden homelessness
For priority cases there is a fast-track into intensive support, but the council's six housing options and advice officers will work with anyone who seeks their help.
"We're actively trying to reduce the level of ‘sofa surfing' and hidden homelessness in our borough," says Gerald. "The council is keen to ensure that we don't see people sleeping rough, and they become a priority."
Dartford's advisers offer flexible support and access to the housing prevention fund, which is not limited to vulnerable applicants. The fund focuses on helping with deposits, first month's rent in advance, loans and, on occasion, one-off 'goodwill payments'.
"By enabling non-priority applicants to access private sector housing we prevent them becoming a priority case and ensure that they are in suitable accommodation with a sustainable tenancy."
Goodwill payments
One example of someone who has benefited from the use of the housing prevention fund is a local woman fleeing domestic abuse. She wanted to find private sector accommodation in a certain area so that the move would cause minimal disruption for her children.
As she had no access to the money required to move into a property, the council used the homelessness prevention fund to pay the deposit and first month's rent in advance. The deposit was provided as a loan, but one that could be recycled for future moves: the rent in advance was a goodwill payment.
One project targeting 18 to 25-year-olds in receipt of housing benefit is looking at ways of identifying groups of people to share homes. As this age group is only eligible for the single room rate, it can be a struggle for them to find appropriate accommodation alone.
Fast-track tenancies
There is also a partnership with Social Homes Ltd, which is providing a new tool for low-income households trying to secure settled accommodation. For a fee of £375, applicants can use a ‘fast-track' scheme to avoid having to pay rent in advance, a deposit or agent's reference fee.
Landlords receive an ‘agreement in principle' once the prospective tenant has been assessed as eligible. That agreement is an insurance-backed payment guarantee, eliminating the risk and making social tenants a more attractive option to landlords.
As an example, a single mother with two children, taking a tenancy at £750 a month, would usually have significant upfront costs: one month's rent in advance, a deposit, agent's reference fee and preparation of a tenancy agreement would add up to more than £1,700. By taking part in the fast-track initiative she would simply pay £375 plus a reduced-price tenancy agreement at £57.50.
Gerald says: "The partnership with Social Homes is an extremely helpful asset to have in your prevention toolkit, and the scheme has already been rolled out to a number of other boroughs. For priority applicants we pay the fee from the homelessness prevention fund."
Preventative policies
Councillor Pat Coleman, Special Adviser on Housing, comments:
"Dartford has a great team of dedicated advisers who work extremely hard for everyone who asks for our help with their housing situation. I'm proud that we aren't only dealing with the end results of housing problems but we look for innovative ways to prevent situations occurring in the first place.
"The threat of homelessness and all the upheaval it can bring will put unimaginable stress on both individuals and families alike, and it's our job to give support and practical advice during those tough times. Offering people realistic, long-term solutions and sustainable accommodation means they can settle in their new home safe in the knowledge that they are able to sustain their tenancy in the future."
Contact
Louise Gray
Housing Information Coordinator
Dartford Borough Council
email: [email protected]