1. Kevin Garvey
Policy Officer e: t:

2. What’s happening?

3. Overview of the housing crisis
Average house prices in England and Wales are now almost nine times average earnings.
The number of priority need households accepted as homeless in the last year was 40 per cent higher than five years ago
Almost 70,000 households are currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England
1.24 million households were on social housing waiting lists last year
As we’ve discussed, and I’m sure you all know – homelessness is on the increase. Some of the key facts and figures that you will have seen a lot of and be familiar with.

4. Scale of the problem
Of course rough sleeping is just the tip of the iceberg, beneath this you have statutory homelessness, hidden homeless (sofa suffers) and those threatened with homelessness.

5. How can we fix it?

6. More affordable homes Supply is currently nowhere near meeting demand
We need more and better new homes
We need to get both the private and the public sector building in order to achieve the scale of delivery we need
Products like Starter Homes must run alongside, not instead of building more affordable homes.
At Shelter, we constantly frame debates on homelessness in the context of structural issues – and top of the list is supply. There simply isn’t the right supply of affordable accommodation.
We use this graph a lot to highlight the correlation between house prices and a decline in building. But also the correlation between a failure of private market house building + public house building.
When we talk about building more homes we mean a mix of options, both social (including shared ownership and private renting options, but importantly homes that people can afford to buy.
The government have attempted to address the problem with products such as Starter Homes and Right to Buy – but these are exlcusive products to people on certain levels of income. And we’re clear that these policies should run alongside, not instead of, building more affordable homes.

7. Problems with PRS – growth in homelessness
One of the key issues that we observe through our research and clients approaching services is the growth in PRS accommodation. As you’ll know, this is a growing sector – now home to 1.5 million families with children.
Alongside issues of conditions and rogue landlords is affordability, and we see the end of an AST now the leading single cause of homelessness.

8. Stable tenancies in the private sector
We advocate a Stable Rental Contract with a five year fixed term, and predictable rent increases
Our major annual survey of private tenants showed that a majority of renters want this
Our evidence also shows that growing numbers of landlords are willing to consider this kind of tenancy
So to address this problem our policy work focusses mainly on improving stability and affordability in the PRS. We’re advocating a stable rental contract, which will create longer term tenancies and predictable rent increases – for example, rent that’s indexed to inflation.
Our research has shown that the majority of renters want this.
It is also warmly received by landlords, who see the positives in low turn-over costs and keeping good tenants for longer periods of time.
Similar moves in Ireland, for example, have not led to landlords leaving the sector in droves.

9. Reconsideration of welfare reform
We need to re-link LHA to market rents
Homeless households in temporary accommodation should be exempted from the benefit cap
We’re awaiting the government review of legal aid changes – as well as the Labour review
Welfare reform has been a big area of policy work in the past for us. Since the passing of the recent Welfare Act, we have switched to more of a reactive and monitoring role on this.
During the passage of the Bill we didn’t get our big asks on re-evaluating LHA against market rents, or an exemption for homeless families living in TA from the Benefit Cap.

10. Changes to homelessness
Improved practice from councils
Out of area placements are increasing – practice is mixed
Support for non-priority clients
Handling of intentionally homeless cases
Greater emphasis on homeless prevention
Not just funding, but culture change. Although supply is the challenge
Changes to homeless legislation
Changes in Wales are generally positive, but some concerns.
The recent DCLG select committee inuqriy on homelessness has offered a framework for Shelter to clarify its position on homelessness. While we mustem phasise the structural drivers of homelessness – shortage of affordable housing and welfare reform – we believe that there is scope for improving practice at a national and local level.
For example, we are due to publish a new policy paper on the merits of genuine homelessness prevention work – work that tackles the cause of the problem further upstream.
Recently, there was our research on out of area, where we identified some low resource options for councils to improve practice of placing families outside of their home area, when all other options have been exhausted.
At a more top level, we support recently calls led by Crisis for a revision of homelessness legislation to better govern prevention work, and produce better outcomes for all homeless cleitns – not just those in priority need.
We are supportive of the key thrust of the new Welsh legislation – but have some particular concerns with legislation and practice in Wales, that I can’t go into in details now. We are releasing a paper next week that details the pros and cons of homeless legislation in Wales, Scotland and England. Happy to circulate.

11. And what’s more…
We need a national cross-Government strategy for tackling homelessness, in addition to a strategic local approach
There must be guaranteed, regularly reviewed government funding for homelessness prevention and accommodation for homeless households
There must be access to free, independent advice to tackle housing problems

12. Shelter’s work

13. Shelter’s work
We provide support to people facing housing and homelessness issues across the country, through face-to-face services, digital advice pages, and our helpline
We campaign to strengthen the housing safety net, improve the private rented sector, and get more affordable homes built
We engage through official lines – e.g. DCLG select committee inquiry into homelessness.
Engage too with MPs, Ministers, Gov’ officials, LGA to bring about change.

14. Thank you Kevin Garvey Policy Officer e: kevin_garvey@shelter.org.uk