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HOUSING COMMITTEE |
Agenda Item 5(b)
Brighton & Hove City Council |
Subject: Questions
Date of Meeting: 23 June 2021
Report of: Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law
Contact Officer: Name: Shaun Hughes Tel: 01273 293059
E-mail: shaun.hughes@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Wards Affected: All
1. SUMMARY AND POLICY CONTEXT:
1.1 To receive any questions submitted to Democratic Services.
2. RECOMMENDATIONS:
2.2 That the Committee responds to the questions.
3. Questions:
3.1 Jim Deans: Question to Housing Committee.
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2020/somewhere-safe-stay-rough-sleepers
Press release stated on 6th April 2020... 200 meals a day were distributed by a group coordinated by BHCC to the street, this was completely untrue, a mere read at the press release shows it to be silly at best, 200 meals on the street to 50 rough sleepers? I would ask Cllr Williams who signed this off to have it retracted. These meals were "distributed to accommodation". As a voluntary group Sussex Homeless Support worked tirelessly through the last 18 months unfunded by BHCC but FAKE credit to others is not what the volunteers wish to read.
Jim Deans (Founder)
Sussex Homeless Support
3.2 Beki Turner: Question to Housing Committee
Are there any plans for BHCC to reinstate the sanctuary scheme in the near future?
Designed to prevent some survivors of domestic abuse from becoming homeless through the provision of security works, local authorities nationally are currently able to increase security in homes through a range of measures.
This includes lock changes, fire safety measures and security maintenance.
I am aware that BHCC’s sanctuary scheme has not been running for over two years now, meaning that for those who wish to stay in their home, there is often no option but to flee.
This can sometimes be extremely detrimental in terms of leaving behind informal/formal support networks, for example.
Additionally, the cost of emergency accommodation or alternative accommodation can be potentially very costly for BHCC in comparison to funding these safety measures.
3.3 Lara Hockman: Question to Housing Committee
I understand that since October 2020 four individuals, who have been moved by BHCC Housing to accommodation in Eastbourne, have died.
Can the council confirm that a mortality review of these deaths has, or will, take place in line with Point 13 of the Homeless Bill of Rights (recently adopted within the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2020-25), quoted as: "The right to life requires public authorities to take measures to preserve life. When people who are homeless (including people in emergency accommodation) die, the Council is committed to ensuring that their deaths are recorded as such, and that in each case there is a reasonably public investigation in order to understand the causes of death and what might have prevented it", and in line with the council's previous commitments to mortality reviews of homeless deaths as outlined by Cllr Brennan in 2019 "We [BHCC] are one of the first local authorities to set up a mortality review process which began in April this year. An investigation is now carried out following the death of anyone who rough sleeping, accommodated in emergency or temporary accommodation or living in supported housing designed to meet the needs of single homeless and previously rough sleeping people. We will make sure the findings are used to develop help for those in need."
If reviews have not taken place or not intended to take place can you explain why?
3.4 Sally Duffy: Question to Housing Committee
The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 places a duty on the council to develop and agree with all persons which are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, a personalised plan of the steps that will be taken to prevent or relieve homelessness. It is our understanding there are individuals housed in temporary or emergency accommodation since March 2020 who still have not received a personalised plan.
Can the council tell us how many people are currently regarded homeless or at risk of homelessness in Brighton & Hove, and of those people how many have been provided and supported with a personalised support plan. Could the council outline the current process of putting these plans together (e.g. what contact is there between 'client' and local authority, particularly in cases of vulnerable people with multiple and complex needs) and what the turnaround time for implementing these personalised plans is?
Does the council feel that the current process and turnaround time is appropriate to fulfil their statutory duty, if not, what is being done to address this?
3.5 David Thomas: Public Question to Housing Committee
At a national level, the number of people found by local authorities to be homeless increased slightly in April 2020-March 2021 compared to the same period before the pandemic[1], despite the eviction ban and other pandemic protections for renters. It is disappointing therefore to note that homelessness preventions in Brighton & Hove decreased over the same period from 791 in the previous year to 598 (item 57 3.8). With the end of these protections and of furlough predicted to produce a massive increase in numbers becoming homeless, can you assure us that prevention is now
the priority?
[1] Observer 13 June https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/13/at-least-130000-households-in-england-made-homeless-in-pandemic
3.6 Daniel Harris: Public Question to Housing Committee
In agenda item 13 the council quote Covid 1 and Covid 2 verified rough sleepers assisted, from the everyone in and the extension of this provision.
Could the council please provide full details of all grants the council has received?
*please note: These should include the name of the fund, how much was provided and from where and a brief summary of what the money is provided for, please can you be clear and brake the figures down into the two categories mentioned above.