Housing groups send joint letter to minister calling for protection of homelessness services from decommissioning by county councils
The National Housing Federation (NHF), Homeless Link, the Local Government Association (LGA) and a range of housing organisations have sent a joint letter to the Under Secretary for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan, to express “serious concern” at the number of county councils currently proposing to decommission homelessness and other supported housing funding contracts due to severe financial constraints.
The letter, which can be read here, calls on the Government to boost and ringfence funding for supported housing, to protect homeless services commissioned by local authorities.
The co-signatories said councils are under “intense financial pressure” and are looking to make savings given the impact of the pandemic and high inflation to enable them to fulfil their statutory duties.
The letter warned: “If these councils are not provided with sufficient funding, multiple supported housing services will be forced to close at a time when homelessness is rising sharply and there are existing pressures on the supported housing sector.”
County councils are not statutorily obliged to fund homelessness support services, but more than half in England do through their commitment to reduce health inequalities.
“Due to the crisis in local government finances, we’re currently aware of three county council proposals to de-commission homelessness support contracts, of which one has been formally approved,” the letter said.
These three councils are collectively projecting a funding gap of £165m in 2024/25, which they currently have no choice but to fill through budget cuts.
“Forcing councils into cuts will have a long-term negative impact on the public purse, as residents are forced into expensive temporary accommodation, hospital beds, or onto the street,” the housing groups warned.
The groups claimed that a reduction in commissioned support services might also risk pushing out good quality housing association and VCS (voluntary, community and social) providers leading to an increase in poor quality, non-commissioned exempt accommodation delivered by "unscrupulous landlords".
The letter pointed out that the homelessness sector had already shrunk “significantly in recent years”.
Decommissioning could threaten the target to end rough sleeping in England by 2024, it added.
The housing groups requested an urgent meeting with the minister to discuss the issue and solutions to maintain the capacity of the homelessness and supported housing sector “at a time when it is needed more than ever”.
Harry Rodd
