Housing Minister Grant Shapps announced an allocation of £1.8 million to assist in areas blighted by so-called 'beds in sheds'.
'Beds in sheds' are often rented to migrants. With few other options, they will put up with cramped conditions, dodgy wiring and poor sanitation as an alternative to life on the streets.
Mr Shapps said that the £1.8 million fund would help the worst affected councils flush out those who exploit migrants at their most vulnerable. They are Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Newham, Peterborough, Redbridge, Slough and Southwark.
The National Taskforce to tackle beds in sheds was announced on 30th April 2012 and further details can be found via this link.
Rick Henderson Appointed as CE at Homeless Link
1st May 2012
Rick Henderson, currently the Chief Executive of Action for Advocacy - an organisation that he founded and which is the national leading authority on the development of effective advocacy services for vulnerable and disempowered people - has been appointed Chief Executive at Homeless Link.
With over 20 years experience gained at a senior level within the voluntary and community sectors, he has published widely on advocacy matters and operated as a national policy advisor.
Commenting on the appointment, Ann Skinner, Chair of Homeless Link, said:
"I'm delighted to announce the appointment of Rick Henderson as our new Chief Executive. As a seasoned campaigner, with a real passion for social justice, he will play an invaluable role in helping to take forward our sectors ambition of ending homelessness."
Rick Henderson is expected to take up the role full-time in July.
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St Mungo's Catering Training Course Proves a Success
10th May 2012
Clients from St Mungo's are celebrating their successful graduation from a ten week catering training course based at the Charity's Pound Lane Centre in Brent.
The Can Cook Will Cook course is run in partnership with catering company Caterplus. Over the ten weeks, the trainees were taught how to cook sweet and savoury dishes, made bread, and learned about kitchen equipment, food safety and hygiene.
The final challenge this week was to cook a slap up 'Great British Menu' for around 30 friends, family and supporters at St Mungo's Pound Lane Centre, a place that provides accommodation as well as health, skills and employment services for homeless people.
The six successful trainee chefs now have the opportunity to be selected for an advanced training programme, leading to a paid apprenticeship with Caterplus Services.
The catering training course is one of many run by St Mungo's Skills and Employment department. Others include British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) qualifications, the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card training, first aid training, literacy and numeracy support, career counselling, IT training and other benefits advice and support in finding employment.
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Repossessions Show No Sign of Slowing
10th May 2012
Figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveal the rate of repossessions in the UK remains high, four years after the recession began. The number of repossessions in the first quarter of 2012 was 9,600 - the same as in the first quarter of 2011.
Shelter's Chief Executive Campbell Robb said:
"Although there's been no increase in repossessions, neither have they gone down and it's extremely worrying that four years after the credit crunch they're showing little sign of slowing.
"With many lenders raising interest rates, hundreds of thousands of struggling homeowners will be worrying how they will cope with an increase in mortgage costs.
"Sadly, recent changes to Support for Mortgage Interest mean that families who face repossession will find there is less support available for them.
"We're really concerned that Government policy to cut the safety net for homeowners at a time of increasing unemployment will inevitably lead to more households facing the devastation of losing their home."
Shelter are advising anyone struggling with their housing costs to seek help early. Get advice on paying for your home or find out how Shelter can help.
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Don't Just Walk Past Rough Sleepers Campaign
14th May 2012
Homelessness charity Porchlight has launched a campaign urging members of the public to tell it about the location of rough sleepers in Kent and Medway.
The Don't Just Walk Past - Tell Us campaign gives people the option of calling a 24-hour helpline number or completing a form on the Charity's website. A few simple questions will be asked about the person seen, so that the specialist rough sleeper team can easily locate and identify them.
Porchlight conducts regular early morning street outreach sessions across Kent to locate and engage with rough sleepers but hopes that extra intelligence from the public will mean they can find even more vulnerable people.
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The Needs of Homeless Young People Must Not be Overlooked in Addressing London's Housing Crisis
17th May 2012
Homeless young people's needs must not be over-looked in efforts to address London's housing crisis, politicians emphasised at a Centrepoint roundtable discussion on the barriers faced by young people ready to move on to independent living.
Homelessness agencies and key figures in London housing - including Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham and lead member for Housing on London Councils and Cllr Jonathan Glanz, Cabinet Member for Housing in the City of Westminster - shared ideas on how to help more young people find and maintain a tenancy in the wake of welfare cuts and a severe shortage of social housing.
These difficulties were underlined in a new Centrepoint report - Moving on or just moving out? - launched at the event and the attendees agreed on the need for local authorities to work more closely together to help young people access affordable, quality housing.
Sir Steve Bullock highlighted the importance of ensuring efforts are supported by London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has recently gained additional powers, including control of the Homes and Communities Agency Budget for London, which funds social house building.
Other key issues raised included how adopting a co-operative approach could allow local authorities to share the cost of providing additional services for young people, such as social lettings agencies, which can increase their housing options. Young people are often seen as riskier tenants by private landlords, but social letting agencies can help build understanding on both sides, and offer financial support.
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Hospitals Discharging Homeless People onto the Street
28th May 2012
More than 70% of homeless people are being discharged from hospital back onto the streets, damaging their health and costing the NHS money.
A new report from Homeless Link and St Mungo's has found that NHS staff can improve health outcomes for homeless people and save the NHS money by ensuring all patients have somewhere appropriate to stay when they are discharged from hospital.
Paul Burstow, Care Services Minister, acknowledged these findings during a visit to the Pathway homeless team at University College Hospital (UCH) in London. The dedicated homelessness team at UCH were named as an example of best practice in the report, which comes from an in-depth study of 85 homeless people, hospitals, local authorities and homelessness agencies.
Improving Hospital Admission and Discharge for People who are Homeless is a guide for hospitals on the treatment of homeless patients. Best practice advice for hospital staff includes:
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Broadway Figures Show Steep Rise In Numbers Sleeping Rough
29th May 2012
There has been a 31% rise in people sleeping rough on the streets of London from the same period in 2011 according to homelessness charity The Broadway.
The figures, released in their March to April 2012 bi-monthly report, also showed a rise of 12% of rough sleepers up from the previous two months.
Broadway's numbers, which contrast considerably with those released by Communities and Local Government department in February, reflect recent changes to how the homelessness charity compiles figures from each London Borough.
Firstly, people who have been seen rough sleeping in more than one borough during the reporting period are no longer counted towards the totals for all boroughs in which they were seen.
Secondly, all people seen rough sleeping during the period are assigned to categories, based on the following factors:
