Issue - items at meetings - Future Provision of the Welfare Officers

RESOLVED:

2.1      That Housing Committee notes the performance and evictions reported.

2.2      That Housing Committee supports the measures the council is incorporating in future contracts for emergency and temporary accommodation to minimise the risk of evictions and intends to keep this matter under annual review.

104.1  The Head of Housing Needs introduced the report. In February 2019 Policy, Resource & Growth Committee agreed that £0.250m be added to the council’s 2019/20 budget proposals for one year only in order to

expand the options for providing support for people in emergency and temporary accommodation to have a positive impact on evictions which were at a high level. In February 2020, Budget Council approved an on-going budget of £0.260m for this welfare support service. It was requested that the performance of the support team (Welfare officers) in relation to the impact on the rate of evictions is regularly reported to Housing Committee. On average the team have been involved in helping avert the potential eviction of 35 people each month. They are supporting an average of just under 500 households at any one time, but this has risen to over 600 during Covid 19. The preventions have been where residents have been served a warning notice due to service charge arrears or other breaches of the licence agreement which the welfare officer team have then resolved. The report sets out the performance to date.

104.2  Councillor Atkinson considered the Monthly average performance matrix to support around 500 households (pre-Covid 19) to be good and felt the welfare officers were doing a good job. The councillor was informed that where a serious assault had occurred the assailant would not normally return to the assault residence and a risk assessment would be undertaken. It was noted that the 10% of evictions completed would be measured against other authorities and the findings feed back to the committee.

104.3  Councillor Gibson considered that outside providers should inform the council of any intentions to evict. The councillor considered that the council needs to protect residents against being evicted for the wrong reasons. It was noted that the welfare officers are doing a good job and looking forward to seeing the rate of evictions reduced. The Homeless Reduction Board will be looking at the eviction rates and will give feedback to the Members.

104.4  The Chair put the recommendations to the vote and they were agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED:

2.1      That Housing Committee notes the performance and evictions reported.

2.2      That Housing Committee supports the measures the council is incorporating in future contracts for emergency and temporary accommodation to minimise the risk of evictions and intends to keep this matter under annual review.