By Coun Christine Lawton
South Holland District Council portfolio holder for housing landlord
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the BBC’s polemical drama Cathy Come Home in which a young husband and wife with three children were inexorably driven into homelessness and despair.
An accident leads to rent arrears and eviction, compounded by unsympathetic bureaucrats and outdated legislation. The housing charity Shelter was founded as a direct consequence, as was a change in housing legislation.
Today, although rent arrears and family breakdown are still the main causes of homelessness, the reaction of local authority housing departments is fundamentally different.
The prevention of homeless is a top priority and housing advice is the first step to keeping families together and “at home”.
We coordinate with the CAB who will provide debt advice, and help with managing problems.
Consequential rough sleeping, in the main, affects young men – in our area some speak little English and can be reluctant to accept the help they are offered.
In England there was a 30 per cent increase last year, but in South Holland the figures are low – but we can only record the cases that are brought to our attention. Should you see cases please ring 0808 281 0280, for our Rough Sleeper Outreach Service.
It is a truism that we need to build more homes, and I am proud that as an authority we look to achieve one third affordable homes on larger developments.
In 2015/16 we achieved 31 per cent of the total new housing supply, which roughly equates to our policy.
Just over half of these were for affordable rent and we are proud to work with partner housing associations who provide not only rental properties but much needed low-cost ownership homes for young families.
In our response to the challenge of rough sleeping we are currently lodging a series of bids for government funding to help with long-term solutions to the cheerless merry-go-round of short term help from housing departments, accident and emergency, mental health practitioners, the police and emergency services.
The cost is huge but the human cost is incalculable.
