Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and Homelessness Update
Renfrewshire Council · 25 October 2022
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 25 October 2022 and its agenda
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 25 October 2022 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Communities & Housing Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and Homelessness Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 An overview on the progress with the implementation of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) was provided to the Policy Board in March 2022. RRTP’s aim to ensure that those who are homeless: - are provided with settled accommodation more quickly - spend less time in temporary accommodation - have greater access to an up-scaled use of the Housing First model, and / or other support. This report provides a full review of the progress made in 2021/22 and reflects on the impact of Renfrewshire’s RRTP since it was launched in 2019. 1.2 This report also provides a further update on homelessness in Renfrewshire. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Policy Board (i) Note the progress made to date with meeting the needs of those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness with the implementation of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, detailed in Appendix 1 of this report
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3 Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan – update 3.1 Previous Policy Board reports have detailed the Scottish Government requirement for all local authorities to consult on and produce a 5-year Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan covering the period 2019 – 2024. 3.2 These plans detail how local authorities plan to move to a situation where those who are homeless: - are provided with accommodation more quickly - spend less time in temporary accommodation - have greater access to an up-scaled use of the Housing First model, and / or other support. 3.3 Key partners such as local and national Housing Associations, Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership and a range of 3rd sector organisations were fully consulted on the content of an RRTP for Renfrewshire, and the Scottish Government has allocated funding from the ‘Ending Homelessness Together’ fund to support and assist local authorities in the implementation of their RRTP’s. 3.4 A review of progress to date and the challenges for Renfrewshire’s RRTP was provided to the Policy Board in August 2021 and March 2022, and there continues to be progress in implementing the plan. Funding from the Council and annual allocations of funding from the Scottish Government have been deployed for measures which are in line with the priorities within Renfrewshire’s 5-year RRTP. 3.5 A full review of the implementation of the RRTP in 2021/22 has now been carried out and submitted to the Scottish Government and is attached as Appendix 1 of this report. The review highlights the substantial evidence of innovative partnership working, and of the implementation of several new measures to prevent homelessness in Renfrewshire and positively meet the needs of those who have nowhere to stay. This includes: further upscaling of our Housing First model to support 65 individuals at any one time via 3 different support providers, including a new ‘in-house’ Intensive Support service. This was an increase from 30 service users in year 1 and 44 in year 2. a very positive independent ‘annual check-up’ on our approach to Housing First carried out by Homeless Network Scotland we fully implemented our tenancy resettlement assistance initiatives using existing resources and 3 temporary posts funded via RRTP funding, and over 400 enhanced ‘Starter Packs’ were provided to those moving into new tenancies a further 6 temporary accommodation properties were ‘flipped’ from temporary to settled accommodation for homeless applicants
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we further developed and improved our Shared Living Initiative with Simon Community Scotland to enable and promote ‘flat sharing’ by homeless applicants. Eight new joint tenancies were established. partnership with SAY Women developed further to provide support for young woman (16 – 25years) who are survivors of child abuse and/or survivors of other forms sexual violence and who are having housing/homeless/tenancy related issues. We now fund a full-time post. continued our inhouse ‘matching and resettlement team’ which was established during the response to Covid-19, and enables homeless applicants to better transition from temporary to settled accommodation an annual stepped increase in the number of homeless lets from both the Council and RSLs - a key element of our RRTP. the satisfaction rate from service users with the temporary accommodation provided increased from 94.7% in 2020/21 to 98.4%, and the tenancy sustainment rate for homeless applicants living in settled Council tenancies for more than 12 months, increased from 88.4% to 89.4% The average length of time for the Council to conclude duty for those who were homeless improved from 25.55 weeks to 22.25 weeks 3.6 Our RRTP also highlights certain challenges that may impact on maintaining progress with delivering the key outputs, such as the demand for social rented accommodation from Ukraine Displaced Persons and other refugee resettlement programmes. 3.7 The Scottish Government have now confirmed that funding of £190,000 will be provided for 2022/23 (year 4 of our RRTP), which is in line with the funding awards in years 1 – 3, and the Policy Board will continue to be updated on progress with the implementation of Renfrewshire’s RRTP. 4 Homelessness update 4.1 Implementation of the RRTP and the positive outcomes to date, and recovery following COVID provides a springboard for tackling and preventing homelessness in Renfrewshire. 4.2 The total annual number of statutorily homeless households in Renfrewshire has generally remained consistent in recent years and tends to be within the 850 – 900 band. The majority of homeless applicants continues to be single person households (over 75%). Close attention will be paid to see any signs that cost-of-living issues are impacting on homelessness nationally and locally.
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Year Total annual number of homeless applications in Renfrewshire 2022/23 468 to end Sept 2022 2021/22 909 2020/21 834 2019/20 874 2018/19 849 2017/18 860 2016/17 777 2015/16 843 2014/15 838 4.3 The Scottish Government has now scheduled the removal of the ‘local connection’ criteria for homeless applicants from December 2022. It is anticipated that this may result in some local authorities – particularly larger urban Councils - experiencing an increase in the number of people presenting as homeless, and this may be a factor which could contribute to an increase in homeless applications in Renfrewshire. Lets to homeless 4.4 Whilst there was an unavoidable reduction in the number of social rented houses let during COVID and in the recovery period, there has since been a continued strong focus in Renfrewshire on matching Council / RSL properties to those who are homeless or in greater housing need. 4.5 The increase in social rented lets in 2021/22 to those who were statutorily homeless was in line with a key aim of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) for Renfrewshire. The on-going demand for the limited number of available 1 bedroom properties as well as the need to meet the needs of individuals affected by resettlement and asylum programmes will present challenges to ensure that the supply of properties continues to increase into 2022/23 and beyond. 4.6 The Policy Board will continue to be provided with regular updates on homelessness, homeless prevention measures and the implementation of Renfrewshire’s RRTP over the remaining 18 months that the Plan has to run. ___________________________________________________________________
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Implications of the Report 1. Financial – funding from the Scottish Government will continue to be fully used to support the transition to rapid rehousing 2. HR & Organisational Development – any posts to support the implementation of RRTP initiatives have been appointed in accordance with current HR procedures and funded from Scottish Government allocations. 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is fair - those who are homeless will be provided with settled housing options more quickly. Building strong, safe and resilient communities – meeting the needs of those who are homeless and providing access to settled housing helps to support communities. Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all – those who are in housing need will be provided with settled housing options more quickly. Working together to improve outcomes – RRTP’s require local authorities and partners to work together to improve outcomes for those in housing need. 4. Legal – none 5. Property/Assets – none 6. Information Technology - none 7. Equality & Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - none 9. Procurement - none 10. Risk – none. 11. Privacy Impact - none 12. COSLA Policy Position – not applicable 13. Climate Risk – none _________________________________________________________
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List of Background Papers a) Background paper 1 ‘ Homelessness Update’ Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board on 15 March 2022 b) Background paper 2 ‘Tenant Hardship Grant Fund’, Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board on 26 October 2021 c) Background paper 3 ‘Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and Homelessness Update’ Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board on 17 August, 2021 d) Background Paper 4 ‘Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan – funding update’ Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board on 19 January 2021. e) Background Paper 4 ‘RRTP for Renfrewshire update’ Communities, Housing & Planning Policy Board on 20 August 2019. f) Background Paper 5 ‘RRTP for Renfrewshire’ Communities, Housing & Planning Services Policy Board on 30 October 2018. The foregoing background papers will be retained within Communities & Housing Services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is Tom Irvine, Tom.irvine@renfrewshire.gov.uk. ___________________________________________________________________ Author Tom Irvine - Tom.irvine@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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1 Rapid Re-housing Transition Plan for Renfrewshire 2019-2024 REVIEW 2021/22
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2 1 Introduction Page 3 2 Summary of Year 3 progress – 2021/22 Page 4 3 How our RRTP funding was used in Year 3 - 2021/22 Page 5 4 Nature and scale of homelessness Page 6 5 Housing First initiatives Page 7 6 Other funded RRTP initiatives Page 8 6.1 Tenancy Resettlement 6.2 Starter Packs 6.3 ‘Flipping’ Tenancies 6.4 Shared Living Initiative 6.5 SAY Women Project 6.6 RRTP Co-ordinator and Steering Group 7 Let to homeless applicants Page 12 8 Temporary accommodation Page 15 9 Year 4 proposals 2022/23 Page 19 10 Summary and conclusions Page 20 11 Appendix 1 Page 21 12 Contact us Page 23 Contents
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3 The Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) was established by the Scottish Government in October 2017. One of the key recommendations made by HARSAG, which was accepted by the Scottish Government, was that each local authority should, in consultation with partners, develop and cost a 5-year Rapid Re-housing Transition Plan (RRTP). The guidance on the development of RRTP’s highlighted that where homelessness cannot be prevented, rapid re-housing means: a settled mainstream housing outcome, with support, as quickly as possible, time spent in any form of temporary accommodation is reduced to a minimum, when temporary accommodation is needed, the optimum type is mainstream, furnished and within a community. The 5-year RRTP for Renfrewshire was produced in 2019 following extensive consultation with our partners, including service users and those with lived experience of homelessness. This paper reviews the progress made in the first 3 years of the implementation of Renfrewshire’s RRTP. A summary and list of key conclusions are provided in Section 11, page 20. This Review should be read in conjunction with our ‘Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019 – 2024’, the associated costed action plan and the RRTP Review 2021. 1 Introduction
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4 2 Summary of year 3 progress – 2021/22 Please refer to Appendix 1 for summary of progress made in years 1 and 2 During year 3: we further upscaled our Housing First model to support 65 individuals at any one time via 3 different support providers, including a new ‘in-house’ Intensive Support service. This was an increase from 30 service users in year 1 and 44 in year 2. a very positive ‘annual check-up’ on our approach to Housing First was carried out by Homeless Network Scotland we fully implemented our tenancy resettlement assistance initiatives using existing resources and 3 temporary posts funded via RRTP funding over 400 enhanced ‘Starter Packs’ were provided to those moving into new tenancies a further 6 temporary accommodation properties were ‘flipped’ from temporary to settled accommodation for homeless applicants we further developed and improved our Shared Living Initiative with Simon Community Scotland to enable and promote shared living within Renfrewshire, creating 8 new shared tenancies partnership with SAY Women developed further to provide time limited support for young woman (16 – 25years) who are survivors of child abuse and/or survivors of other forms sexual violence and who are having housing/homeless/tenancy related issues. We now fund a full-time post. continued our inhouse ‘matching and resettlement team’ which was established during the response to Covid-19, and enables homeless applicants to better transition from temporary to settled accommodation we delivered an annual stepped increase in the number of homeless lets from both the Council and RSLs, a key element of our RRTP. the satisfaction rate from service users with the temporary accommodation provided increased from 94.7% in 2020/21 to 98.4% the tenancy sustainment rate for homeless applicants living in settled Council tenancies for more than 12 months, increased from 88.4% to 89.4% The average length of time to conclude duty improved from 25.55 weeks to 22.25 weeks
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5 RRTP funding from Scottish Government - YEAR 3 - 2021/22 Action Plan Ref * Rapid Rehousing Proposal Annual Cost (£) 1,2,7 Upscaling of Housing First programme £84,000 4 Tenancy resettlement £80,500 1, 3 Provision of enhanced starter packs £20,000 3 Temporary accommodation – ‘flip’ properties from temp accommodation £10,000 all RRTP Coordinator Post £47,000 6 Shared Living Initiative £26,000 8 Say Women project £8,000 TOTAL SPEND YEAR 3 £275,500 3 How our RRTP Funding was used in Year 3 2021/22
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6 Our previous RRTPs provided substantial analysis on the nature, context, and scale of homelessness in Renfrewshire in recent years. In 2021/22, we dealt with 2256 housing advice cases, which resulted in 909 homeless applications. This was an increase of almost 10% in homeless applications compared to the previous year and is the highest number since 2013/14. As before, the largest demand is still from single applicant households, which continue to represent nearly 80% of all applications. The average length of time to conclude duty improved from 25.55 weeks in 2020/21 to 22.25 weeks, largely as we were able to move households from temporary accommodation into settled accommodation more quickly than before due to our in- house ‘matching and resettlement team. Repeat homelessness figure has reduced to under 8%, from 9.8% in 2019/20. Those who state they have slept rough at some point in the 3 months before making a homeless application has reduced to 4.4% of all applications from 5.3% in 2020/21 (it was 11.8% in 2019/20). There are challenges emerging in relation to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on homelessness, as well as being able to achieve a stepped increase in social rented lets to homeless applicants, which may be impacted by factors such as the regeneration programme for Renfrewshire and the demand for social rented accommodation as part of Scotland’s Homes for Ukraine programme, see page 14. 4 Nature and Scale of Homelessness in 2021/22
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7 5 Housing First initiatives Renfrewshire has developed a strong track record for the deployment of Housing First initiatives, after becoming the first Scottish local authority to fund a Housing First initiative back in 2013/14, in partnership with Turning Point Scotland. Here is a summary of the current provision : WRAP (Working to Reconnect and Achieve Potential) Established in December 2019 in partnership with Blue Triangle Housing Association, WRAP is a short-term, flexible, wraparound housing support service for people who are homeless and wanting to engage with support staff in a person- centred approach to resettle into the community, sustain their tenancy, and achieve their own outcomes. WRAP provides support along the lines of a Housing First approach, via 3 workers employed by BTHA. WRAP has been funded jointly from the Council’s Housing Support budget, (£26k pa) and RRTP funding (£84k pa). An analysis our WRAP project was included in last years RRTP review. In April 2022, a total of 35 service users were being supported via WRAP and benefitting from the Housing First approach that is applied. There are clear signs that WRAP is having a positive impact on tenancy sustainment levels. As a result of the scale of success in the first two years of operation, WRAP is being rolled forward to 2022/23. Housing First – Turning Point Scotland A total of 16 service users were being supported in April 2022 via our on-going project operated in partnership with Turning Point Scotland and benefitting from the Housing First approach that is applied. Intensive Support service Building on our successful track record of deploying a housing first approach via partnerships with Blue Triangle Housing Association (WRAP) and Turning Point Scotland, Renfrewshire Council have now established and funded our ‘Intensive Support’ service from within our Housing Support Team using the lessons we have learned. A full review of our Intensive Support service will be included in next year’s RRTP review. At the end of 2021/22 14 service users were already accessing this new initiative.
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8 6.1 Tenancy resettlement Our revised approach to tenancy resettlement was developed following customer consultation and is a proactive and practical approach to help those who are homeless to establish and sustain their settled tenancy. It has been further developed in response to the relatively low tenancy sustainment rate for Council tenancies by homeless applicants, and the number of tenancies that were subsequently abandoned. An enhancement of tenancy resettlement assistance is seen as a key principle in meeting the overall aims of Renfrewshire’s RRTP, and it became a particularly important during our response to COVID-19. In 2021/22, 527 service users were assisted to settle in their new homes using existing resources from within the Council’s Homeless & Housing Support Services teams, as well as 3 new temporary posts funded via Scottish Government RRTP funding allocation. To date, a total of 817 service users have been assisted to settle into their new homes via Homeless & Housing Support Services and our Resettlement service over 2020/21 and 2021/22. This has built on the measures already in place which had already delivered substantial improvement in tenancy sustainment – those who were homeless and sustained a Council tenancy for more than 12 months increased to 89.4% in 2020/21* from 88.4% the previous year. This figure was at 72.1% in 2015/16. * this is the most recent year that tenancy sustainment figures are available for We continue to: Assist households with the practical challenges of setting up a home Help services users to better understand their rights and responsibilities as a tenant Set up utilities in new tenancies and clear any debts on the meters and liaise directly with utility companies Coordinate the delivery of Community Care grant items and ‘starter pack’ Ensure all welfare benefits are in place and no rent arrears are accruing at the start of the tenancy Maintain regular access to advice and assistance for the service user Carry out tenancy ‘health’ checks on a quarterly basis for 1 year to help identify early warning signs Liaise with other agencies when concerns are highlighted 6 Other Funded RRTP Projects
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9 Assist service users to engage in wider community support Liaise directly with local Housing Officers to support a positive working relationship and take a joint approach to deal with any emerging issues. Impact of Tenancy Resettlement Assistance The positive impacts for service users and housing providers since the introduction and enhancement of the tenancy resettlement measures are: enabled customers to move from temporary accommodation into settled accommodation during lockdown prevented customers having to stay in bed and breakfast accommodation staff ‘took up the strain’ of dealing with utility companies reduction in new tenant rent arrears improved communication with local housing officers and other partner agencies improved engagement with wider community-based support services property in move-in condition for the service user practical assistance available to customers early warning signs of possible un-sustained tenancy 6.2 Starter packs In 2018/19, we conducted a survey of homeless service users on what items they thought were essential to help them maintain and sustain their tenancy. In years 1, 2 and 3, we have annually provided over 400 enhanced Starter Packs based around customer feedback. The packs now include a double rather than a single bed, a microwave, kettle, toaster, cutlery, and plates. We also give service users the option of having their new home ‘powered up’ prior to occupation. This ‘credit’ allows individuals to be able to use either gas or electricity immediately and further increases the chances of the tenant smoothly moving into their settled housing, and go on to sustain the tenancy (dealing with utility companies was regularly featuring as a ‘stresser’ by those who had moved to new tenancies). 6.3 ‘Flipping’ Tenancies We have tended to ‘flip’ furnished properties on occasion from temporary accommodation to secure tenancies, when the property has already been used for over 7 years as furnished temporary accommodation for homeless applicants. In the first 3 years of our RRTP, 28 temporary accommodation properties were ‘flipped’ from temporary to secure tenancies – 6 in year 1, 16 in year 2 and 6 in year 3, and we intend to continue this, where feasible, in partnership with housing providers.
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10 ‘Flipping’ is best applied when it forms part of a planned reduction in a stock of temporary accommodation – see discussion on the reduction of temporary accommodation in Section 7. 6.4 Shared Living Initiative The Shared Living Initiative is a flat sharing initiative delivered in partnership with Simon Community Scotland which is designed to allow service users to self-select and / or be supported to ‘match’ with each other. This empowers applicants to improve their housing options and provides new opportunities to find settled accommodation. It has been designed to mitigate concerns from a landlord perspective, as well as an opportunity for individual homeless people to have the option of flat-sharing and is a positive response to the mismatch between the high proportion of single person homeless households and low availability of one bedroom accommodation. ‘Shared Living’ has been made more challenging over recent years due to staff turnover within Simon Community and COVID restrictions, however we are hopeful that this will be a viable option for some of our service users going forward, particularly those who struggle with loneliness and isolation. Strong links have been established with Renfrewshire’s ‘Invest’ programme which will be a valuable resource to assist service users into training and employment. In 2021/22, 8 shared tenancies were created and since it launched, 32 service users have been supported resulting in 14 Shared Living tenancies being created with a further 4 awaiting offers that are expected to shortly become shared tenancies. “Shared living for me has been a dream! I've got help splitting our bills, managing our costs and always someone to rely on at home! This opportunity has allowed me to feel so comfortable and secure within my environment I cannot thank the team enough" Comment from Shared Living service user. June 2022 6.5 SAY Women Project Say Women offers emotional support for young women aged 16 to 25 who are survivors of sexual abuse, rape, or sexual assault and who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness. Through our RRTP, we initially funded a 0.5 post via Say Women, however more recently this has increased to a full-time position due to the demands on the project to enhance the support to service users and provide key staff in homeless / housing services with increased capacity through Say Women’s specialised training and consultation.
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11 With continued engagement, Say Women aim to prevent repeated cycles of homelessness and increasing tenancy sustainment for the young woman they work with, and a detailed plan has been established on how the service can develop. To date they have assisted over 20 young women. 6.6 RRTP Coordinator Our RRTP Coordinator liaises with senior officers within the Council, partner organisations as well as the Scottish Government in order to ensure that all required agreements, services and ongoing monitoring arrangements are in place to oversee the successful delivery of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, within budget. The postholder will be moving to a new post in early 2022/23, and it is proposed to terminate this position, and incorporate the role and the lessons learned within the Council’s Homeless Services team. Rapid Rehousing Steering Group We established a Rapid Rehousing Steering Group of key stakeholders chaired by the Council’s Head of Housing Services, with the aim of assisting in the delivery and implementation of the aims and objectives of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan. The Steering Group regularly reviews an agreed ‘dashboard’ of all key performance areas to track the impact of Renfrewshire’s Plan. Rapid Rehousing Steering Group meetings will continue to be held over the remaining 2 years of our RRTP. Joint approach We have continued with one-to-one meetings with the senior housing managers of Renfrewshire Council and the Registered Social Landlords to discuss key aspects of the RRTP and highlight/agree where their contribution could assist in the delivery of the RRTP. This has involved producing and sharing individual, tailored reports for each stakeholder, and was a key factor in driving the stepped increase in lets to homeless applicants over the first 3 years of our RRTP.
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12 7 Lets to homeless applicants Introduction In the 5-year RRTP for Renfrewshire, it was highlighted that a stepped increase in the number and proportion of social rented lets to those who were statutorily homeless would be a key factor in meeting the objective of providing a settled mainstream housing outcome, with support, as quickly as possible. Table 1 below compares the number of Council lets to homeless applicants in 2019/20, 2021/22 and 2020/21. Table 1 Source – Renfrewshire Council house allocation records In 2019/20 the Council made 352 lets to homeless applicants. In 2020/21 they made 245 lets and in 2021/22 the figure improved to 368 – an increase of 16 from 2019/20 and an increase of 123 lets from 2020/21. Table 2 overpage compares the number of RSL lets to homeless applicants in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 Paisley North Paisley South Renfrew Johnstone Combined Number of Council lets to homeless 2019/20 ‐ 2021/22 19/20 20/21 21/22
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13 Table 2 Source – Records provided by RSLs In 2019/20, RSLs made 138 lets to homeless applicants. In 2020/21 they were 164 lets to homeless applicants and in 2021/22 the figure was 172 - an increase of 34 lets from 2019/20 and an increase of 8 lets from 2020/21. The combined total number of Council and RSL lets for 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 has been 490, 409 and 540 respectively. Our forecast via the RRTP Data and Analysis Template completed in 2019, was that 455, 600 and 600 social rented lets in Years 1, 2 and 3 respectively would be required in order to deliver a substantial and meaningful improvement. We also modelled in our original RRTP 2019 – 2024, how the relationship between a stepped increase in the number of lets could impact on a reduction in the length of time to conclude duty. In the model, reproduced on the next page, we showed the impact of a gradual increase in the annual number of lets (approximately 10% each year) spread over the 5 years of the RRTP. 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 WHA PHA Linstone Sanctuary FPHA Loretto Link Bridgewater Combined Number of RSL lets to homeless 2019/20 ‐ 2021/22 19/20 20/21 21/22
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14 Table 3 Source : Renfrewshire’s RRTP 2019 – 2024 The impact on the average length of time a household would be homeless is that it reduces gradually from 24 weeks (which was already considerably below the Scottish average) to 16.6 weeks by 2023/24. A further stepped increase in the number of social rented lets to homeless applicants in 2022/23 is required. Impact of Renfrewshire Council’s Regeneration Programme in years 4 – 5 A substantial Regeneration Programme covering a large proportion of Renfrewshire Council’s housing stock commenced in 2022/23. This will include some demolition of stock and may have an impact on the supply of accommodation due to the need to provide properties for those who are moved / decanted. Close liaison with the Regeneration team will help minimise the impact this may have on the implementation of this RRTP in terms of available Council lets. Impact of resettlement of Ukraine Displaced People There are 377 UDPs staying in hotel accommodation across Renfrewshire by July 2022. This will place a new additional demand for social rented accommodation. There may also be an impact on the demand for furnished temporary accommodation and to record homeless applications for UDPs who do not have 24.0 24.0 21.6 19.6 18.0 16.6 16.6 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Impact of annual additional lets phased over 5 years TOTAL of Council/RSL/Private Lets Length of time taken to complete duty (weeks)
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15 suitable accommodation at the time when their sponsor arrangement ends. 8 Temporary accommodation It was made clear in our RRTP how the fluctuating nature of the demand for temporary accommodation can present challenges. It requires significant effort, planning and resourcing to meet the high standards we place on delivering on the duty to provide temporary accommodation for those who are homeless, in terms of the location, type, and quality of the properties, and how they are managed. We have never used hostels in Renfrewshire, and all our temporary accommodation properties already met the vision set out within the RRTP Guidance, which was: ‘the optimum type of temporary accommodation is mainstream, furnished and within a community.’ At the time of producing our original RRTP, we had a total stock of 233 temporary accommodation properties, and B&B had not been used for a number of years. Table 8 Comparison of temporary accommodation type / number – 2019 – 2022 (snapshot figs) Accommodation Type Location Accommodation provider No. of properties 2019 No. of properties June 2020 No. of properties April 2021 No. of properties April 2022 Local Authority owned furnished flats across R/shire Renfrewshire Council 116 136 124 129 Households placed in B&B Paisley B&B proprietors 0 25 placements 0 0 RSL owned furnished flats across R/shire Various RSLs 24 30 31 31 *Local Authority owned supported accommodation 1 location in Paisley Renfrewshire Council 16 16 16 16
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16 * support is commissioned from specialist provider ** this supported accommodation no longer provided. As can be seen in the table above, the current stock is 247 properties. This overall increase of 4 properties from 2021 is due to the sustained high demand for temporary accommodation resulting from the increase in homeless applications as highlighted in part 4 (Nature and Scale of Homelessness). Whilst the number of lets increased, this was matched by an increase in homeless applications. Temporary Accommodation – Review of 5 Year Vision / Projections At the time of submitting our RRTP, we anticipated that the overall capacity for temporary accommodation could reduce from an overall stock of 233 units to 177 units by year 5 - and this would be achieved by a combination of: A phased increase in the number of lets to homeless applicants The introduction / enhancement of the range of support improvements and innovations detailed in the RRTP action plan Comments on our view on the need for the each of the temporary accommodation property types are provided below : Local authority and RSL owned furnished flats In our 5-year RRTP, we set a target of reducing the number of properties to 121. The number increased during COVID recovery, and currently stands at 160. All properties will remain at our existing high standard, continue to be fully furnished and spread throughout communities amongst mainstream social rented housing, and *RSL owned supported accommodation Paisley and Renfrew Williamsburgh HA Sanctuary HA Loretto HA ** Paisley HA 42 37 37 37 Local Authority owned staffed accommodation 2 locations in Paisley Renfrewshire Council 33 33 33 32 Private sector leased – furnished Paisley Private landlords 2 2 2 2 TOTAL 233 279 243 247
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17 now does not feel like the appropriate time to reduce the number of properties (see also ‘staffed accommodation’ comments, on next page). Bed & Breakfast We ceased using B&B as a form of temporary accommodation for a number of years however, in line with many other local authorities, the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period regrettably meant we were left with no option but to use this form of temporary accommodation for a period. We have however once again ceased our reliance on B&B and remain committed to the position that it is not a suitable form of temporary accommodation and with the anticipated increase in lets over the coming years from housing providers and a joint effort to enhance services that prevent homelessness via this RRTP, we have returned to the position that B&B is no longer used from Year 3 onwards. Supported Accommodation This has already reduced from 58 properties to 53. We estimated that this could reduce to 40 properties by 2024, and the ‘flow’ of applicants requiring this accommodation by year 5 could drop from 191 in 2017/18 to 133. This was however based on a costed proposal to upscale our capacity for Housing First from 20 to around 65 - 80 individuals using RRTP funding. To date, the RRTP funding has not been sufficient to allow such an increase. We are currently re-assessing what the need for supported accommodation may be by year 5. Staffed Accommodation In our original RRTP, we envisaged a reduction from 32 to 24 properties, but now aim to reduce 16 properties This will be delivered by a planned closure of one of our existing staffed accommodation units during 2022/23. An increase in the number/proportion of lets to homeless applicants, and increase in the capacity of housing first initiatives, as well as the sustained enhancement of our resettlement service will reduce the number of repeat homeless cases, that often rely on this direct access staffed accommodation. Private sector leasing
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18 We intend to cease using the 2 properties during 2022/23 Satisfaction with temporary accommodation We continually seek the views of those who are placed in all forms of temporary accommodation. In 2021/22, the proportion of homeless applicants satisfied with their temporary accommodation increased to 98.4% from 94.7% the previous year. The figure was 74.5% in 2015/16.
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19 9 Year 4 proposals – 2022/23 The Scottish Government funding allocation for year 4 has recently been confirmed as £190,000, and our unavoidable ‘carry forward’ from Year 3 is £148,850. We anticipate we will be able to fully fund the initiatives set out in the table below: Table 9 YEAR 4 - 2022/23 Action Plan Ref * Rapid Rehousing Proposal Annual Cost (£) 1,2,7 Housing First programme £124,000 (1) 4 Tenancy resettlement Service £120,000 (2) 1,3 Provision of enhanced starter packs £25,000 (3) 3 Use of temporary accommodation – ‘flip’ properties from temp accommodation £15,000 6 Shared Living Initiative £32,000 8 Say Women initiative £37,000 TOTAL ESTIMATED COST YEAR 4 £353,000 * Reference numbers are taken from original RRTP action plan submitted in 2019 (1) The total annual cost of Housing First will be £250,000. The Council will contribute over £100,000 – plus an in-house Intensive Support service (2) This will fund an upscaling of the in-house provision of a number of posts already deployed within the Council and RSLs (3) This topped-up a budget of £50,000 already used for the provision of starter packs
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20 11 Summary and conclusions 1 There has been significant progress in the implementation of Renfrewshire’s 5- year RRTP. 2 Funding from the Council and annual allocations of funding from the Scottish Government have been deployed for measures which are in line with the priorities within Renfrewshire’s 5-year RRTP. 3 The funding from the Scottish Government has not been sufficient to allow Renfrewshire’s costed RRTP to be fully implemented. 4 There is however substantial evidence of innovative partnership working, and a range of new measures in place to prevent homelessness and meet the needs of those who have nowhere to stay. 5 The use of a Housing First approach has been upscaled from 18 service users at any one time at the start of our RRTP, to 65 at the end of year 3 using both RRTP and Council funding. 6 A stepped increase in the number of social rented lets to homeless applicants was achieved in 2021/22 - this needs to continue in years 4 and 5 of our RRTP, though there will be pressures. 7 The collective effort to resettle homeless applicants from temporary accommodation to settled tenancies during COVID-19 restrictions was successful, and many of the lessons learned continue to be deployed. 8 Tenancy sustainment figures show an increase in the proportion of homeless applicants who go on to sustain a Council tenancy for at least 12 months to 89.4% in 2020/21 from 88.4% the previous year. This figure was 72.1% in 2015/16 9 Repeat homelessness has reduced to under 8%, from 9.8% in 2019/20. 10. Applications from those who state they had slept rough at some point in the 3 months preceding application has reduced to 4.4% of all applications from 5.3% in 2020/21, and 11.8% in 2019/20. 11 Temporary accommodation is still being provided in the form of furnished mainstream flats in the community – the optimum type according to the Scottish Government RRTP Guidance. The recorded satisfaction level has increased to 98.4% in 2021/22 from 94.7% in 2020/21.
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21 12 Appendix 1 Summary of year 1 progress – 2019/20: we upscaled our Housing First model - up to 30 individuals being supported at any one time from the previous total of 18 we recruited 3 x Resettlement Officers on a temporary basis to expand and develop the assistance provided to those moving from temporary accommodation enhanced ‘Starter Packs’ were launched, based around customer feedback 6 of our temporary accommodation properties were ‘flipped’ from temporary accommodation to being settled tenancies for homeless applicants we developed a unique Shared Living Initiative mobile phone App, and worked with Simon Community Scotland to roll this out to enable and promote shared living within Renfrewshire we appointed a RRTP Co-ordinator to ensure that all required agreements, initiatives, and ongoing monitoring arrangements were in place to oversee the successful delivery of Renfrewshire’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan within budget we established a RRTP Steering Group with key stakeholders, and chaired by Head of Housing Services, to support the delivery and implementation of the aims and objectives of Renfrewshire’s RRTP we established close working relationships with senior housing managers from Renfrewshire Council and Registered Social Landlords to regularly focus on and review key aspects of our RRTP and jointly agree their contribution in the delivery of the RRTP objectives Summary of year 2 progress – 2020/21: we further upscaled our Housing First model to support 44 individuals via 2 different support providers, from 30 being supported in Year 1 we fully implemented our tenancy resettlement assistance initiatives using existing resources and 3 new temporary posts funded via RRTP funding 239 enhanced ‘Starter Packs’ were provided a further 16 temporary accommodation properties were ‘flipped’ from temporary to settled accommodation for homeless applicants
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22 we fully implemented our Shared Living Initiative with Simon Community Scotland to enable and promote shared living within Renfrewshire we funded 0.5 post via Say Women to provide emotional support for young women aged 16 to 25 who are survivors of sexual abuse, rape, or sexual assault we established an inhouse ‘matching and resettlement team’ to enable homeless applicants to better transition from temporary to settled accommodation during the Covid-19/ Lockdown restrictions all homeless services and housing support frontline staff were deemed ‘essential workers’, and risk assessments and provision of PPE ensured these workers provided assistance and support throughout the COVID19 response. All these officers were also offered COVID19 vaccinations we continued with one-to-one meetings with the housing managers of Renfrewshire Council and the Registered Social Landlords to discuss key aspects of the RRTP and highlight where their contribution can support and assist in the delivery of the RRTP – especially during COVID19 crisis and recovery there was an increase in the number and proportion of RSL lets to homeless applicants number of Council tenancies let to homeless applicants which were abandoned within a year reduced to 14, from 69 in 2019/20. the satisfaction rate from service users with the temporary accommodation provided increased to 94.7%, a record level the average number of days spent in different types of temporary accommodation decreased from 93 days to 72 days the tenancy sustainment rate for homeless applicants living in settled Council tenancies for more than 12 months, increased
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23 13 Contact us The contact persons in relation to our RRTP are: Tom Irvine Homeless & Housing Support Services Manager Email: Tom.irvine@renfrewshire.gov.uk and Kevin Thomas RRTP Co-ordinator Email: Kevin.thomas@renfrewshire.gov.uk