Measures to prevent people from becoming homeless are getting results in Swansea. The number of households in priority housing need has fallen from 984 in 2005 to 873 in 2006. The average number of days households spend in temporary accommodation has also fallen during the last year from 74 days in 2005/6 to the current figure of 54 days. The total number of people using B&B accommodation has also fallen by 63% over the last 12 months. In addition there are currently no families in B&B accommodation. There are only currently 18 single people in such accommodation.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Measures to prevent people from becoming homeless are getting results in Swansea.
The number of households in priority housing need has fallen from 984 in 2005 to 873 in 2006.
The average number of days households spend in temporary accommodation has also fallen during the last year from 74 days in 2005/6 to the current figure of 54 days.
The total number of people using B&B accommodation has also fallen by 63% over the last 12 months. In addition there are currently no families in B&B accommodation. There are only currently 18 single people in such accommodation.
The success, outlined on a report to the Council's Health and Social Services Scrutiny Board which meets on Monday is as a direct result of the prevention work of Housing Advisers at the Councils housing advice shop, Housing Options.
The Housing Options service has focused on developing prevention options in a bid to reduce the number of households being made homeless and to reduce the number of households using temporary accommodation.
Caseworkers at Housing Options are able to offer households various services and schemes in an attempt to prevent someone from losing their home.
These include mediation services for people being asked to leave accommodation by families and friends, security features for women at risk of domestic abuse, a bond guarantee to help households into the private rented sector, landlord outreach and mediation with private landlords seeking to evict their tenants.
There are a range of tenancy support schemes provided by the Council and partners in the voluntary sector and a prevention fund to support initiatives and activity that prevents homelessness.
As a result of the prevention work carried out by Council Caseworkers the number of homeless applications where the local authority has prevented homelessness has increased from 14% of cases in 2005 to 32% of cases in 2006.
Many others are helped to stay in their homes with help from tenancy support services.
The Local Authority has also focused on developing alternatives to B&B accommodation and new permanent housing options as part of a range of activities helping to gear the authority up to Welsh Assembly legislation stamping out the use of B&B accommodation.
The Authority has self contained flats that homeless families can use in an emergency. They also have flats across the city for single people who need emergency accommodation. These schemes have all helped to reduce the dependency on B&B accommodation.
Permanent housing options for homeless households are also improving with additional funding being provided for the Bond Board -- a scheme that helps people in housing need find a landlord and the means to meet the bond requirements. It is anticipated that the extra money will secure at least another 150 tenancies each year in the private sector.
Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Graham Thomas said, "The improvements over the last year are extremely pleasing and are the result of much hard work.
"The commitment from the Council to make resources available and develop innovative and creative responses to the causes and effects of homelessness has been crucial.
"The Service will now focus on making sure that those improvements are continuous and that we continue to make a real difference to the lives of people who are faced with homelessness."
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