Reducing homelessness
Our priority is to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place. Our aim is to make sure that anyone at risk of homelessness is aware of, and has access to the services they may need to prevent it.
We already spend around £5.6 million a year on preventing homelessness, as well as supporting those who are homeless.
More people facing homelessness are contacting us than ever before. Despite government cuts, we are also managing to help more people than every before.
In 2017 our housing options team helped more than 1,400 families and 2,000 individuals to stay in their homes, or find somewhere else to live.
They do this by helping people to manage their finances, talking to their landlords, putting them in touch with other services that could help them, and identifying other suitable accommodation if all else fails.
As part of our five-year plan, we are already improving the homeless prevention advice available in the city, both online and from other sources. We are working with partner organisations to do this.
In 2018 we started a pilot project to give one-to one-advice and coaching to people who need greater support to prevent their homelessness.
We have appointed a homeless prevention officer to improve the links between housing and health, domestic violence and children’s services. And we are talking to private landlords about removing barriers that stop them renting to people on benefits, and only offering six month tenancies.
If we can’t prevent people from losing their homes, or if people come to us who are already homeless, we have a range of services in place to help them.
We always try to find people suitable long-term accommodation straightaway. If we can’t, we have a hostel for families, and a 42-bed centre offering temporary accommodation and support for singles and couples called the Dawn Centre.
We also work with a range of partners across the city that provide temporary accommodation and support for people who are homeless.
