Agenda item

Resolved: that the report and the presentation from CAYSH be noted. The Committee also agreed that it would look to carry out further work into the development of support initiatives for vulnerable people as part of its upcoming work programme.

6.            Rehousing the homeless: charity groups

This item was considered after item 4.

Chennel Lawrence from CAYSH provided a presentation outlining the key elements of CAYSH’s supported lodgings scheme (the presentation is available on the Council’s website with the papers from the meeting). The following key points were noted:

• CAYSH negotiated supported lodgings for 16-25 year old single people.
• This was one of the solutions for young vulnerable homeless people in Lewisham.
• The recruitment of households to provide supported lodgings was an intensive process.
• Each placement required the negotiation of a good relationship between the participant, the householder and the caseworker from CAYSH.
• Prevention was a key part of the approach developed by CAYSH.
• There were a number of benefits associated with providing supported lodging.
• Householders did not join the scheme for financial gain. Many were motivated by a sense of community.
• Describing and highlighting the benefits of supported lodging was important.
• There were advantages and disadvantages of the scheme and a level of complexity which would mean it was not always the best solution in every case.
• CAYSH would not support the housing of homeless families in lodging because of the potential complexities and issues that placing a family might cause. Not least amongst these issues would be the availability of homes large enough to accommodate a family with children.
• Other potential problems include the potential risks involved in placing children and the issues that might be involved in managing relationships between different families.
• There might be ways of developing a support model for people who were placed outside of their home borough, which would help them to engage in their new community.

Chennel Lawrence and Rupert Bateson responded to questions from the Committee, the following key points were noted:

• There might be opportunities to make the model work for young mothers building on what already existed.
• The potential for the supported lodgings model to house families was limited by the short term nature of lodging as well as the inherent vulnerabilities of people in need of accommodation.
• Spending time around a family in a peer situation could be helpful – but the practicalities (as described) could be difficult.
• CAYSH always worked closely with the local authority in the areas it placed people but it would challenge a local authority, where it felt this was necessary.
• CAYSH had made a bid to carry out some innovative work into the potential for intergenerational supported lodging. However, funding for new schemes was not readily available.
• Crisis and shelter had worked together on a project called Sharing Solutions looking into the use of empty homes.
• CAYSH noted that research had demonstrated the beneficial health and wellbeing impact of the supported lodging approach.
• There had been some success of the supported lodgings scheme in placing people out of the borough.
• The LAWN project brought together London authorities (managed by London Councils) to enable people to move to other parts of the country.
• Funding was available at the time to deliver the project (through London Councils) but the number of people who were enabled to move was quite small.

Officers noted the major increase in population that had been projected in London and the likely pressure this would continue to put on housing and services.

Resolved: that the report and the presentation from CAYSH be noted. The Committee also agreed that it would look to carry out further work into the development of support initiatives for vulnerable people as part of its upcoming work programme.