Researchers examined the costs and benefits of housing-related services provided by the Supporting People programme in Scotland.
Source: Tribal Consulting, Supporting People: Costs and Benefits, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report | Costs report
Date: 2007-Dec
The government announced that funding for Supporting People (the programme designed to help vulnerable people live independently in their accommodation) would fall from £1.686 billion in 2008-09 to £1.666 billion in 2009-10 and to £1.636 billion in 2010-11.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 6 December 2007, columns 96-97WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | DCLG press release | NHF press release
Date: 2007-Dec
The report of an independent taskforce on site provision for Gypsies and Travellers said that it was crucial that the government continued to insist that action was taken to improve both levels of site provision and the effectiveness of enforcement action where needed.
Source: The Road Ahead: Final Report of the Independent Task Group on Site Provision and Enforcement for Gypsies and Travellers, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | DCLG press release
Date: 2007-Dec
A new book examined strategies for consulting with disadvantaged and marginalized groups in supported housing – including homeless people, care leavers, ex-offenders, travellers, women escaping domestic violence, and black and minority ethnic groups.
Source: Helen Brafield and Terry Eckersley, Service User Involvement: Reaching the hard to reach in supported housing, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Dec
A study examined the housing experiences of new immigrants, and the consequences of their arrival for local housing markets and neighbourhoods. Rather than taking much needed housing from local residents, new immigrants tended to fill voids in the housing stock left behind or rejected by other households.
Source: David Robinson, Kesia Reeve and Rionach Casey, The Housing Pathways of New Immigrants, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | Liberal Democrats press release
Date: 2007-Nov
An article questioned claims that migrant workers from the new European Union accession states were gaining access to scarce social housing at the expense of English citizens.
Source: David Robinson, 'European Union accession state migrants in social housing in England', People, Place & Policy, Volume 1 Issue 3
Links: Article
Date: 2007-Nov
An article examined a longitudinal study of the resettlement of 64 older people who were rehoused into permanent accommodation from homeless people's hostels in England. Rehousing older homeless people successfully was difficult, particularly among those with long histories of homelessness and instability, and more needed to be known about the types of accommodation and the types of support that promoted 'tenancy sustainment'.
Source: Maureen Crane and Anthony Warnes, 'The outcomes of rehousing older homeless people: a longitudinal study', Ageing and Society, Volume 27 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Nov
A study examined housing schemes for older people that combined independent living with relatively high levels of care. There appeared to be no single dominant model of housing with care that was most effective. The combination of independence and security offered by all schemes appeared to be highly attractive to older people from a range of backgrounds.
Source: Karen Croucher, Leslie Hicks, Mark Bevan and Diana Sanderson, Comparative Evaluation of Models of Housing with Care For Later Life, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2007-Oct
The Housing Corporation published its strategy for vulnerable people. It pledged to earmark one-tenth of its affordable housing budget for supported housing.
Source: Investing in Independence: Housing for vulnerable people strategy, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Strategy | Housing Corporation press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Aug
An article examined Muslims? perceptions of the social housing services provided to them, and the extent to which these met their religious needs and aspirations.
Source: David Cheesman, 'The margins of public space – Muslims and social housing in England', People, Place & Policy, Volume 1 Issue 1
Links: Article
Date: 2007-Jul
A council tenant who had schizophrenia successfully challenged his local council?s decision to evict him after he sub-let his flat when he did not have ?sufficient appreciation? of what he was doing.
Source: London Borough of Lewisham v Malcolm, Court of Appeal 25 July 2007
Links: Text of judgement | DRC press release | Community Care report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Jul
A briefing paper said that regardless of the nature of their child's impairment, most black and minority ethnic families with a disabled child were living in unsuitable housing.
Source: Bryony Beresford, The Housing Needs of Black and Minority Ethnic Disabled Children and Their Families, Race Equality Foundation (020 7619 6220)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2007-Jun
The government published a new comprehensive strategy for delivering housing-related support services to vulnerable people. It emphasized the vital role of the third sector, and sought its help in shaping how the programme would be delivered. It suggested exploring new approaches that would give people greater say about the services they received, through the individual budget pilots and new ?charters for independent living? setting out the services people could expect to access locally. It also proposed an integrated assessment process under which people could be assessed for health, social care, and housing support at the same time.
Source: Independence and Opportunity: Our strategy for supporting people, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | DCLG press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Jun
A briefing paper said that regardless of the nature of their child's impairment, most black and minority ethnic families with a disabled child were living in unsuitable housing.
Source: Bryony Beresford, The Housing Needs of Black and Minority Ethnic Disabled Children and Their Families, Race Equality Foundation (020 7619 6220)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2007-Jun
A government minister said that new immigrants should have their rights to social housing downgraded in favour of native British families. She said: 'We should look at policies where the legitimate sense of entitlement felt by the indigenous family overrides the legitimate need demonstrated by the new migrants'.
Source: Article by Margaret Hodge MP, The Observer, 20 May 2007
Links: Observer article | Guardian report | Shelter press release | Mayor of London press release | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-May
Researchers examined how landlords were responding to their Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) duties. Local authorities and housing associations had a good awareness of DDA legislation in general, although awareness of the duties for landlords was lower. There was very low awareness amongst the private-sector landlords of disability legislation, and little awareness of the new DDA duties for landlords.
Source: Jane Aston, Darcy Hill and Ceri Williams, Landlords? Responses to the Disability Discrimination Act, Research Report 429, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2007-May
The government began consultation on its national housing strategy for older people. Older people were much more likely to live in poor housing, with a third of older people living in non-decent homes. The worst conditions were in the private rented sector. The strategy aimed to improve housing to meet basic standards, reduce excess winter and fire deaths, increase the numbers of people aged over 80 living safely in their own homes, and raise the number of people receiving preventative Home Improvement Agency services.
Source: National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society: A pre-strategy document seeking your views, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236) and other departments
Links: Consultation document | Shelter factsheet | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-May
A report by a government agency said that young offenders were at significant risk of homelessness following release from prison: but housing services were failing to meet their needs.
Source: Elaine Arnull et al., Accommodation Needs and Experiences of Young People Who Offend, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales/Home Office (020 7271 3033)
Links: Summary | YJB press release | Nacro press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Mar
An official review said that Independent Living Funds should remain in their existing form until 2009-10, but that in the longer term there should be a smooth transition towards full integration within a system of personalized budgets. (Independent Living Funds are designed to enable severely disabled people to live independently in their own homes.)
Source: Melanie Henwood and Bob Hudson, Review of the Independent Living Funds, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | Summary | Hansard | DWP press release | DRC press release | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Mar
A report said that many people from black and minority ethnic communities faced major barriers when accessing housing advice, even though BME households were more likely to suffer homelessness or live in bad housing.
Source: The Advice Gap, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jan
A report evaluated programmes designed to provide accommodation-based and floating support schemes for: young people at risk; teenage mothers; victims of domestic violence; offenders and those at risk of offending; and people with drug and alcohol problems. A separate report examined lessons for good practice.
Source: School for Policy Studies/University of Bristol, Providing Housing and Support: An Evaluation of the Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund and the Approved Development Programme Pilots for Teenage Mothers, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236) | School for Policy Studies/University of Bristol, Providing Housing and Support: Lessons and Good Practice, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Evaluation report | Good practice report
Date: 2007-Jan
