Policy Hub
On 12 December 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) published National Statistics which showed 7,350 fewer homelessness acceptances (a 23 per cent reduction in the number of households becoming homeless) compared with the same period the previous year. This is the lowest number of new cases of homelessness at this time of year since 1985, and the latest in an overall downward trend in acceptances since the beginning of 2004.
The reductions confirm the effectiveness of homelessness prevention strategies promoted by the government and supported by £200 million of investment. A further £88 million will be allocated to local authorities over two years (2006/07 and 2007/08), to deliver front line services and take forward other initiatives to reduce homelessness. This includes drug rehabilitation treatment, mediation to resolve family and relationship problems and support for women experiencing domestic violence.
ODPM also published a Survey of English Local Authorities About Homelessness: Policy Briefing 13, showing how prevention has spread across authorities in the last couple of years. For example; far more Local Authority (LA) staff now focussed on prevention; most LAs have rent deposit schemes in place; most LAs have several prevention schemes already up-and-running; most have plans for more over next couple of years; LAs estimate that they prevented homelessness for over 50,000 households in 2004-05 and indications on their figures for first quarter of 2005-06 suggest they will do even better this year; all of the above confirms that prevention is working and is producing the reductions in new cases of homelessness since end of 2003; LAs are self-reporting that they expect very significant decreases in TA up to 2010. The survey was conducted to give Government better evidence on the take up of prevention approaches, to inform funding decisions and further work to spread good practice.
The Statistical Release can be found on the ODPM website.
A Survey of English Local Authorities About Homelessness: Policy Briefing 13 can also be viewed on the ODPM website.