A report said that relationship breakdown caused homelessness for 1 in 5 rough sleepers; and that men and women whose homelessness was caused by relationship breakdown suffered from more problems than other homeless people.
Source: Relationship Breakdown & Homelessness, St. Mungo's (020 8600 3003)
Links: Report (pdf) | St Mungo's press release
Date: 2003-Dec
There were 93,930 households in England at the end of September 2003 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 10 per cent on a year earlier). The number of households with dependent children or expectant mothers in bed and breakfast accommodation was 3,190, compared with 6,200 a year earlier. The government announced that local authorities and voluntary organisations in England would receive 60 million in 2004-05 to support them in tackling homelessness more effectively.
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England Third Quarter 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Press release 10 December 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Report | ODPM press release | Policy brief (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A report examined the support needs of both homeless families and homeless people without children, the provision of support, and the accommodation factors affecting support services. It set out a number of recommendations including: comprehensive needs assessments; referral protocols with other agencies in contact with homeless people; the extension of support for people at risk of homelessness; action to alleviate money problems; and joint working with a wide range of other support agencies.
Source: Nicholas Pleace and Deborah Quilgars, Supporting People: Guide to accommodation and support options for homeless households, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
The government began consultation on the two homelessness indicators that it proposed to introduce as 'best value' performance indicators from 1 April 2004. These covered numbers of rough sleepers, and numbers of families that included dependent children or a pregnant woman placed in temporary accommodation under the homelessness legislation.
Source: Consultation on Two Proposed BVPI Indicators, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
The government said that most respondents to a consultation exercise supported proposals to reduce the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children, and to improve standards of accommodation and support services for all homeless households in temporary accommodation.
Source: Summary of Responses to the Consultation on Improving Standards of Accommodation for Homeless Households Placed in Temporary Accommodation, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Summary of responses (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
Researchers examined the experiences of homeless people who stayed with friends or family because they had nowhere else to go. Those concerned slept on floors for months, or sometimes years, as their only alternative to rough sleeping. Most of the people living this life were entirely uncounted in official homeless statistics, and local authorities were largely ignorant of their existence.
Source: David Robinson with Sarah Coward, Your Place, Not Mine: Homeless people staying with family and friends, Crisis (020 7015 1800)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Crisis press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Nov
The government announced its intention to legislate so that, from April 2004, it would be unlawful for any English local authority to place a homeless family with children in a bed and breakfast accommodation for more than 6 weeks. But a children's charity accused the government of deception, because the pledge excluded families housed in B&B-style property owned by councils and housing associations - as many as 6,000 families in total. Local authorities attacked the 6-week limit as 'perverse', saying it would deny them necessary flexibility.
Source: Press release 17 November 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Press release 18 November 2003, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: ODPM press release | LGA press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2003-Nov
There were 93,480 households in England at the end of June 2003 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 14 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England Second Quarter 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Oct
The government said that, in June 2003, there were an average of 504 people sleeping rough in England on any single night: this was the lowest recorded level.
Source: Rough Sleeping Estimates in England, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Table (Excel file)
Date: 2003-Oct
A survey report described the state of services for homeless people. Almost 100 homelessness organisations reported on key practice and policy areas impacting on the delivery of services to homeless people today - including funding, the changing profile of service users, engagement with local authorities, and building use. Over half of the respondents had seen an improvement in statutory services for homeless people since the implementation of the Homelessness Act 2002, and 94 per cent had been involved with their local authorities in the development of homelessness strategies.
Source: Lychgate Projects Ltd, Homelessness Services in Focus: Survey of homelessness organisations, Homeless Link (020 7960 3010)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | CRASH press release
Date: 2003-Oct
An updated review was published of research into single homelessness. It contained a classified bibliography of research published in 2002, and summaries of 25 reports. The summaries detailed the background and aims of the individual reports, the research methods and findings, and any recommendations.
Source: Suzanne Fitzpatrick and Susanne Klinker, Homelessness Research Review 2003, CRASH (020 8742 0717)
Date: 2003-Oct
A paper examined the links between poor housing, homelessness and ill-health in Wales.
Source: Housing and Homelessness On the health agenda in Wales?, Shelter Cymru (01792 469400)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
A literature review for the Welsh Assembly Government examined homeless people s access to medical, care and support services.
Source: Peter Somerville, John Lawson, Steven Shardlow and Andy Steele, Homeless People s Access to Medical, Care and Support Services: Review of the literature, Housing Research Report HRR 5/03, Welsh Assembly Government (02920 823353)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
A report said that single homelessness remained a significant problem despite recent, welcome changes to the legislation. The cost of an individual s homelessness could run to many thousands of pounds, suggesting that there might be an economic case for spending money to reduce homelessness.
Source: Peter Kenway and Guy Palmer, How Many, How Much: Single homelessness and the question of numbers and cost, Crisis (020 7015 1800) and New Policy Institute
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
The government published a policy briefing on ways of improving employment options for homeless people.
Source: Improving Employment Options for Homeless People, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Briefing (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
A report illustrated regional patterns in homelessness, and highlighted gaps in official data collection and analysis. It also made recommendations to improve the usefulness of the statistics. It said that family breakdown (with domestic violence as the chief cause) was responsible for almost 1 in 4 of cases of people becoming homeless.
Source: More than a Number: Report on the analysis of ODPM homelessness statistics - Financial year 2001/2002, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Observer report
Date: 2003-Aug
A housing pressure group published a comprehensive guide to homelessness in the United Kingdom. The guide highlighted key information including: a dramatic increase (since the previous edition in 1998) in the proportion of people made homeless because friends or family were no longer willing to provide accommodation; an increase in the number of cases recognised as homeless due to mental illness; a higher incidence of mental health problems among single homeless people and among women; and a greater incidence of chronic chest and breathing problems among homeless people in hostels and bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and among rough sleepers.
Source: The Homelessness Factfile (Second edition), Crisis (0870 011 3335)
Links: Crisis press release
Date: 2003-Jul
There were 90,680 households in England at the end of March 2003 who were living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 13 per cent on a year earlier).
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England First Quarter 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Report | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Jun
A report evaluated the effectiveness of a range of initiatives to prevent homelessness among young people. Young people responded best to services specifically designed for them. Flexible services, where young people could access support on a range of issues under one roof, were also found to be effective.
Source: Greater London Authority, Preventing Youth Homelessness, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Jun
A report said that some people in Wales who were at risk of homelessness were being provided with poor services, or were restricted from accessing homeless advice, due to local authority procedural failings.
Source: First Contact 2003, Shelter Cymru (01792 469400)
Links: Shelter press release | Welsh LGA press release
Date: 2003-Jun
The government began consultation on proposals to improve housing standards for homeless people placed in temporary accommodation. The proposals would end the use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation as temporary accommodation for homeless families with children or with a member of the household who was pregnant, except where the case was urgent (and even then for no more than six weeks). Campaigners welcomed the proposals, but said the government needed to tackle the chronic housing shortage to ensure homeless people and families were not forced to live in temporary housing for long periods of time.
Source: Improving Standards of Accommodation for Homeless Households Placed in Temporary Accommodation: Consultation paper, Homelessness Directorate/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 5907) | Press release 13.5.03, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Consultation paper (pdf) | Shelter press release
Date: 2003-May
A report examined the difficulties recently rehoused families experienced in trying to escape the effect of homelessness on both adults and children. A significant lack of practical, social and emotional support from statutory services was found to exacerbate feelings of frustration, isolation and financial apprehension.
Source: Lives Moving On, Maternity Alliance (020 7490 7639)
Links: No link
Date: 2003-Apr
There were 85,780 households in England at the end of December 2002 living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the statutory homelessness provisions (up 9 per cent on a year earlier). There were over 1,000 fewer families with children in bed-and-breakfast accommodation compared to the previous quarter: the government said this represented early progress towards its target that, by March 2004, no family with children should have to live in this type of accommodation except in an emergency.
Source: Statutory Homelessness: England Fourth Quarter 2002, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Press release 13.3.03, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A Scottish study considered ways in which longitudinal research on homelessness might help address important policy questions, and identified practical methodologies for undertaking such research.
Source: Kevin Pickering, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Kerstin Hinds, Peter Lynn and Sarah Tipping, Tracking Homelessness: Feasibility study, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
The Scottish Parliament passed the Homelessness (Scotland) Bill. The Bill phases out the distinction between priority and non-priority applications for local authority assistance, with a view to ensuring that everyone assessed as unintentionally homeless is entitled to permanent accommodation by 2012. Campaigners called it a 'landmark' Bill which would never have been passed by the United Kingdom Parliament.
Source: Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566) | Press release 5.3.03, Shelter Scotland (0131 473 7170)
Links: Text of Act | SE press release | SCSH press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A report examined the nature and extent of older homelessness in Northern Ireland, evaluated temporary accommodation and support services, and made recommendations for future policy and practice.
Source: The Face of Older Homelessness, Simon Community Northern Ireland (028 9023 2882)
Links: Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
Researchers examined young homeless people s use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. Drug taking was found to be extensive particularly the use of recreational drugs. In addition, 43 per cent had taken heroin and 38 per cent crack cocaine. Many were poly-drug users and just over a quarter had injected drugs.
Source: Emma Wincup, Gemma Buckland and Rhianon Bayliss, Youth Homelessness and Substance Use: Report to the Drugs and Alcohol Research Unit, Research Study 258, Home Office (020 7273 2084)
Links: Study (pdf) | Findings (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
An audit report examined local council performance on homelessness and housing advice, highlighted examples of good practice, and set out key recommendations to help councils respond to the challenges of the Homelessness Act 2002. It said that many councils should do more to deliver a good service and increase the emphasis on prevention.
Source: Homelessness: Responding to the New Agenda, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Press release
Date: 2003-Jan
