Stockport Preventing Homelessness Strategy: 2016-21
Contents
1. Foreword
2. Introduction and context
3. Overview of homelessness
4. Key findings from the Homelessness Review
5. Consultation
6. Related strategies and plans
7. Strategic priorities
8. Resources
9. Monitoring
10. Action plan
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1. FOREWORD
Nobody should be unable to access a warm, safe home. Nobody should be living on
the streets. Nobody should be "sleeping rough". In the 21st century and in the fifth
richest country in the world it is an indictment on our society that we even have
homeless people who, for whatever reason, do not have access to secure and safe
housing.
Local authorities accepted 15,170 households as being statutorily homeless between 1
April and 30 June 2016, up 3% on the previous quarter and 10% on the same quarter of last
year. These are households that are owed a main homelessness duty to secure
accommodation as a result of being unintentionally homeless and in priority need.
• The total number of households in temporary accommodation on 30 June 2016 was
73,120, up 9% on a year earlier, and up 52% on the low of 48,010 on 31 December 2010
Local authorities took action to prevent homelessness for 50,990 households in April to
June 2016, up 4% from 48,820 in April to June 2015.
• A further 3,910 non-priority households were helped out of homelessness (relieved) by
local authorities in April to June 2016, up 10% from 3,570 in April to June 2015.
DCLG - National Statistics June 2016
From these figures it is clear that homelessness is rising and all indications are that
the trend will continue upwards. For this reason it is essential that Stockport Council
does all it can to prevent homelessness in the first place, a strategy that has so far
met with considerable success, and have policies in place to support people who do
become homeless.
There is, of course, a limit on what the Council can do. Like Councils up and down
the country, there are phenomenal pressures on the budget and so it is essential that
the Council makes best use of its existing resources and those of its partners,
including working proactively with the third sector, Greater Manchester and new
channels such as social investors to secure other sources of funding and support.
The Action Plan included in this Strategy is a working document and will be reviewed
regularly in light of any local or national changes.
Cllr Sheila Bailey
Executive Member Communities and Housing
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2. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
2.1 Introduction
Homelessness is rising at a time that resources available to tackle many of the
underlying causes are falling. Some services have closed, such as supported
accommodation schemes; specialised services such as drug and alcohol outreach
have been reduced; and budgets are under pressure from welfare changes. The
Council, Stockport Homes, their partners in the third sector and communities across
Stockport therefore face challenges in trying to support a wide range of customers
with increasingly complex needs.
The development of a new Preventing Homelessness Strategy comes at this difficult
time, and as such must be realistic about what it can achieve and deliver while
remaining ambitious. The Strategy therefore focuses on making best use of
resources to support vulnerable groups where it can, but also places an emphasis on
services working together and empowering customers and communities to take
ownership of their own solutions where possible.
2.2 National Context
The Government have maintained funding for homelessness services, recognising
the need to protect the most vulnerable groups in society, but this is not a ringfenced grant and additional funding streams are often subject to competitive
application processes. In Stockport however the Council is committed to ensuring
that monies intended for homelessness prevention, including the Government’s
named grant, are allocated fully to this aim.
Legislative changes have affected how local authorities assess homeless
applications, including changes to how the vulnerability test is applied meaning more
people could be owed a homelessness duty than previously. The Government is also
looking at extending a homelessness prevention duty to all groups, rather than just
those in priority need. This could have implications for levels of homelessness
acceptances, as well as the resources required to support homeless people during
the lifetime of this Preventing Homelessness Strategy.
2.3 Gold Standard
The Government’s Gold Standard is a continuous improvement / best practice
journey to which Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to achieve.
So far along this journey the Council has achieved seven Local Challenges, making
it a ‘silver’ authority – one of the first six in the country to accomplish this.
The Council is committed to achieving the remainder of these challenges and
providing a Gold Standard service to people living in the Borough; these are:
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Challenge 1: To adopt a corporate commitment to prevent homelessness which has
buy in across all local authority services
Challenge 8: To have a homelessness strategy which sets out a proactive approach
to preventing homelessness, reviewed annually to be responsive to emerging needs
Challenge 9: To not place any young person aged 16 or 17 in Bed and Breakfast
accommodation.
The Council is currently on course to achieve these challenges by the end of 2016.
2.4 Welfare Reform and the Housing and Planning Act 2016
The following are some of the forthcoming welfare reforms and changes to social
housing affecting supply that have informed the Stockport Preventing Homelessness
Strategy, and will continue to be monitored throughout its lifetime:
Planned changes
Implications
‘Pay to stay’ market
rents for higher
earning customers
Households living in council tenancies outside London who
earn a total of more than £30,000 could have to pay rents
at ‘market’ levels to encourage them to move into home
ownership from 2017/18. £30,000 is a relatively low figure
in a household where two adults work. It is anticipated that
this will be voluntary for other social housing providers.
There is the potential for this measure to result in debt for
a large number of tenants – estimated at 10.4% of
current social tenancies in Stockport.
‘Lifetime’ tenancies
The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced mandatory
usage of fixed term tenancies for local authority tenants,
although this has not yet been enacted. New tenancies are
proposed to be of a fixed term between 2-10 years, subject
to review when this period comes to an end. Exemptions to
this are to be announced by the Government.
Limiting Housing
Benefit for 18-21
year olds
The Government have proposed the introduction of a
‘Youth Obligation’ from April 2017 which involves an
intensive regime of mandatory work placements and
support, and restrictions on benefits for those aged 18 to
21. This could mean some young people will be unable to
afford to live independently at all, despite sometimes
having a clear need to do so – although the Government
has advised it will be setting out exemptions for customers
with certain yet to be defined vulnerabilities. In April 2016
129 such young tenants claiming Housing Benefit
were living in Council accommodation
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Welfare benefit
freezes and
amendments
The Government have proposed:
- People with lower level disabilities making new
claims for Employment Support Allowance will
be paid at the same rate as those who are able
bodied; a reduction of around 30 per cent;
- A freeze on working age benefits;
- A freeze on Local Housing Allowance;
- Universal Credit and the family element of Tax
Credit will be limited in larger families;
- Tax Credit and Universal Credit work allowances
will be reduced for people who are working.
Benefit cap
The overall benefit cap is currently £500 per week for a
working age household with children, but will be reduced to
£385 outside London, although no date has yet been set
for this to be implemented. This will impact on incomes
across the borough but is likely to have the biggest impact
on larger families. For single people the cap will reduce
from £350 to £258. 989 households in Stockport are
estimated to be affected as of December 2015.
Single Room Rate in
social housing for
under 35s
In the November 2015 Spending Review the Government
announced that they would be capping benefit paid on
social rents to Local Housing Allowance levels. This
presents a particular issue for under 35s, because most
people are only entitled to the Single Room Rate. This
means that for most young people who are not working,
living alone will no longer be an affordable option. 176
single people aged under 35 were rehoused into social
rented tenancies via the Council’s allocations system,
Homechoice, in 2014/15, which gives an indication of the
numbers who could be affected.
Sale of High Value
local authority
housing stock
Provisions in the Act allow the Secretary of State to require
stock holding Local Authorities to pay to the Government
monies based on the sales of higher value properties as
they become vacant. It is not yet known what the threshold
or impact of this will be.
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2.5 Local Context
2.5.1 Stockport Homes
Stockport Homes has successfully managed homelessness services on behalf of the
Council for over 10 years. The Council signed an agreement in 2015 for Stockport
Homes to continue managing these services and its housing stock for a further 27
years. This presents an opportunity for Stockport Homes to further develop and
improve the offer for homeless people in Stockport, which includes managing actions
under this Preventing Homelessness Strategy.
2.5.2 Preventative Services
Throughout 2015 the Council commissioned new services to target those who could
most benefit from preventative support. This meant ending individually
commissioned contracts and creating new collaborative arrangements or ‘Alliances’
focussed on areas such as preventing people reaching crisis and helping them build
positive relationships. This new range of preventative services identify, target and
support people in a holistic way to enable them to be more resilient, self-managing
and independent.
2.5.3 Localities hubs
The Council is dedicated to working in the heart of neighbourhoods in order to
ensure people can access support and care locally as part of the preventative
agenda. This work will revolve around four locality hubs located across the Borough,
presenting a greater opportunity for services to work collaboratively with Stockport
Together, Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and local GPs to target
preventative activity at an early stage, including for homelessness services.
2.5.4 Stockport Family
The Council aims to establish a single, fully integrated Stockport Family Service that
provides the highest quality support to Stockport’s most vulnerable children and
families. This service will be introduced during the first year of this Strategy, and will
see greater opportunities to work more closely together to prevent homelessness.
3. OVERVIEW OF HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness is rising nationally and in Stockport increased over the lifetime of the
previous Strategy, although high levels of prevention show an excellent response to
tackling the issue.
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Figure 1: Homelessness Preventions vs. Acceptances
2500
2142
2000
1908
1773
1616
1500
1353
Homelessness Prevented
Full Duty Accepted
1000
500
130
134
94
146
169
0
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
Stockport is committed to preventing homelessness for all groups, reflected in
decreasing levels of non-priority homelessness and rising levels of ‘homelessness
relief’ – rehousing 460 people despite there not being a statutory duty to do so during
the lifetime of the previous Homelessness Strategy.
The main reasons for homelessness were consistent each year: domestic abuse and
termination of assured shorthold tenancy. In depth analysis can be found in the
Homelessness Review.
Figure 2: Homelessness Decisions
374
400
350
290
300
250
200
150
134
146
130
158
169
Full Duty
Intentionally Homeless
Not in Priority Need
Not Homeless
Ineligible
195
100
50
19
14 1
22
24
8
14
17 9
16
7 4
0
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
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Figure 3: Main reasons for homelessness (full duty decisions)
40
35
30
25
20
15
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
10
5
Other
Left hospital
Left prison
Left care
Arrears
Violence
Mortgage repossession
Harassment
Relationship breakdown
Left NASS accommodation
Asked to leave by other
relatives/friends
Asked to leave by parents
Other termination
Termination AST
Domestic abuse
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4. KEY FINDINGS FROM THE HOMELESSNESS REVIEW
The Homelessness Review looks in detail at trends during the last Strategy and
changes to services provided to homeless groups; headline findings include:






A strong focus on homelessness prevention, particularly supporting people to
remain in their existing homes;
Increased homelessness acceptances amongst single people with complex
needs which make prevention particularly difficult, such as mental and
physical ill health;
Repeat homelessness amongst small numbers of particular groups such as
care leavers;
Identification of at risk groups due to changes to services and national policy,
including offenders, European Economic Area (EEA) workers and refugees;
Welfare reform, particularly affecting larger families and single people aged
under 35 due to cuts in housing benefit entitlement;
Increases in the most visible form of homelessness, rough sleeping.
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5. CONSULTATION
This Strategy has been developed following consultation with:




People affected by homelessness;
Elected Members;
Partner organisations, including the third sector;
Local authority and Stockport Homes staff, including Stockport Homes’ Board
and Management Team.
Work will continue with all partners and interested parties throughout the lifetime of
this Strategy to support its on-going development and evaluation.
6. RELATED STRATEGIES AND PLANS
6.1 Stockport Housing Strategy
A new Housing Strategy for Stockport has been developed alongside this Preventing
Homelessness Strategy. The two share principles of maximising housing options,
increasing supply, meeting the needs of vulnerable residents and responding to the
challenges of welfare reform.
6.2 Stockport Allocations Policy
Stockport’s Allocations Policy is being reviewed in 2016, and will echo both the
Housing and Homelessness Strategies’ commitment to meeting housing need and
responding to welfare reform. This includes making best use of stock through
supporting existing tenants to move through mutual exchanges, and continuing to
utilise options such as shared tenancies for young people.
6.3 Stockport Tenancy Strategy
The current Tenancy Strategy sets out the Council’s commitment that it will not make
use of flexible tenancies in local authority accommodation. Registered providers in
the borough have also not made use of this option, showing an overall support for
promoting sustainable communities and preventing homelessness.
The Government’s Housing and Planning Act 2016 includes provision for making the
use of fixed term tenancies mandatory for local authorities. There will be some
exceptions, but most new tenancies are now proposed to be 2-10 years long, subject
to review. Stockport’s Tenancy Strategy will be reviewed as guidance around this
change is released.
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6.4 Stockport Borough Plan 2015-20
The Stockport Partnership brings together representatives from the voluntary,
community, public and business sectors to work together to improve the quality of life
in Stockport. The role of the partnership is to improve the quality of life for local
people by setting out a long term vision for Stockport in the Borough Plan, promoting
social, environmental and economic wellbeing, pinpointing problems, improving
services and targeting resources to address local needs – all of which have a role to
play in preventing homelessness. This Strategy will support the plan through seeking
to promote the employability, health and wellbeing of homeless people, encouraging
resilience and supporting collaboration between services.
6.5 Stockport Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2016-19
Stockport’s Health and Wellbeing Board is leading on a new high-level Joint Health
and Wellbeing Strategy for Stockport. The Strategy will articulate how different
services will work together to meet patient needs identified in a Joint Strategic Needs
Assessment. This assessment covers vulnerable groups, including homeless people.
The Strategy is endorsed by the Council Executive and the Clinical Commissioning
Group Board; it will be introduced later in 2016 and any relevant actions also
reported under this Preventing Homelessness Strategy.
6.6 Stockport Homes’ Social Inclusion Strategy 2015-18
One of the key purposes of the Social Inclusion Strategy is to empower customers to
make good financial decisions and give them access to suitable financial products
and services. Tenants with money management skills and appropriate advice are
more financially resilient and less likely to fall into financial difficulty and possible
homelessness. Actions within this Preventing Homelessness Strategy share some
common features around worklessness, budgeting and advice provision, and as a
result the Council and Stockport Homes will work together to ensure improved
financial services and support reach people across the Borough.
6.7 Armed Forces Covenant
Stockport Council and its partners are committed to working with the Armed Forces
in order to ensure support is available for those who need it. The Stockport Armed
Forces Community Covenant Agreement is a statement of mutual support between
the Council, its partners and the local Armed Forces Community. This includes
providing housing support, and aiming to prevent and relieve homelessness amongst
members / ex-members of the Armed Forces and their families.
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7. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
This Preventing Homelessness Strategy draws on actions and insight from all of the
related strategies, data, research and consultation noted above and in the
Homelessness Review into the following strategic priorities:
1. To raise awareness and educate people on how to prevent homelessness
and signpost to support
2. For agencies and local authorities to work together and develop services
to best meet the needs of people who are homeless
3. To develop housing pathways to support specific client groups
4. To identify and address the health needs of homeless people
5. To support customers through the welfare reform changes to ensure they
are fully prepared for the impact
6. To continuously monitor trends in homelessness and wider connected
issues to ensure commitment to continuous improvement
7. To develop and improve the private rented sector, including the
implementation of a Private Rented Sector offer and developing Stockport
Homes’ social lettings model
8. To seek to address local housing supply issues in order to prevent and
relieve homelessness and continue to avoid the use of bed and breakfast
accommodation for homeless households.
8. RESOURCES
Stockport Council is committed to utilising the Preventing Homelessness Grant for its
stated purpose, and this will continue to fund the work of the Housing Options Team
with the support of Stockport Homes who have been crucial in identifying ways of
maintaining and strengthening the service. For actions within this Strategy, it has to
be acknowledged that budget pressures within the local authority mean that
additional funding is unlikely to be dedicated to achieving actions within this Strategy.
This Strategy will therefore make best use of the existing resources that the Council
and its partners have, including working proactively with the third sector, Greater
Manchester and new channels such as social investors to secure other sources of
funding and support.
9. MONITORING
The Stockport Preventing Homelessness Strategy will be reviewed and publish
updates on an annual basis. This will include both statistical updates reflecting
homelessness in the Borough, as well as performance against targets within the
Strategy Action Plan and individual related projects where relevant.
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Stockport Homelessness Forum will monitor the progress of the Strategy bi-annually;
the Forum is comprised of officers from the local authority, a range of partner
organisations and Stockport Homes, who have shared responsibilities and
accountabilities through the action plan below. The action plan will be treated as live
document, with priorities and resources reviewed in accordance with changes to the
local and national context.
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10. ACTION PLAN
Aim 1
Key Objectives
Education, awareness raising and signposting



Ensure customers can access support when and where they need it
Enable partners to better support customers threatened with
homelessness
Equip young people with the skills to maintain future tenancies
Lead Agency/Agencies
Stockport Homes; Services for Young People
Project Manager
Housing Options Team Leader, SHL
Key Partners
Targeted Prevention Alliance; Localities Hubs; Schools/Colleges
Resources
Staff time
Action
Start Date
Develop annual briefing programmes on
April 2017
homelessness and accommodation pathways
for customer contact points and partner
organisations
Develop a “no wrong door” approach working
April 2017
with key partners linked to the Locality Hubs,
particularly focussing on Priority Two
neighbourhoods as identified in the Review
Build on existing relationships with schools and April 2019
youth facilities to further develop education
projects around housing and budgeting
Completion
Date
April 2021
April 2019
April 2020
Targets
Status
Yearly programmes and
increased insight;
partners better able to
advise customers
Outreach established
via partners; self-help
options available to
customers in P2 areas
Increased awareness in
schools via training and
literature; reduction in
youth presentations
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Aim 2
Key Objectives
Work together and develop services to best meet the needs of homeless people




Make best use of resources through shared resources, virtual teams and
co-location where beneficial
Ensure strategic and operational commitment to preventing
homelessness
Streamline referral routes into key housing and support pathways
Develop holistic services which tackle the core causes of homelessness
and promote future housing stability
Lead Agency/Agencies
Strategic Housing; Stockport Homes; Children’s Social Care
Project Manager
Rehousing Services Manager, SHL
Key Partners
Stockport Housing Partnership; Greater Manchester (GM) authorities; Targeted
Prevention Alliance
Resources
Staff time; existing budgets as appropriate
Action
Start Date
Explore developing virtual teams and physical April 2018
co-location approaches where practical and
appropriate
Continue to develop relationships within GM to April 2017
tackle mutual trends in homelessness, e.g.
shared service provision and spot purchasing
Work together with Children’s Services to
expand homelessness prevention options for
care leavers, such as staying put and
supported lodgings
April 2017
Completion
Date
April 2019
April 2021
April 2020
Targets
Status
Cost savings; increased
visibility and access
points for customers
Cross-borough projects
established; evaluation of
cost savings / Social
Return on Investment
Increased take-up of
staying put options;
reduced homelessness
amongst care leavers
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Map and co-ordinate employment, education
and training support across the borough to
reduce duplication and ensure best use of
resources to support customers
Develop a borough-wide response to
proposed fixed-term tenancies to promote
sustainable communities and prevent
homelessness
Take advantage of new funding opportunities
as they arise, e.g. social investment bonds
December
2016
April 2017
April 2017
April 2018
April 2017
April 2021
Aim 3
Develop housing pathways to support specific client groups
Key Objectives


Knowledge bank
established; outcomes
monitoring system in
place
New Tenancy Strategy in
place agreed by
Stockport Housing
Partnership
Funding bids made; new
projects in place
Ensure housing pathways are in place for all client groups identified
within the Homelessness Review
Prevent vulnerable groups from falling through gaps and reduce repeat
homelessness
Lead Agency/Agencies
Stockport Homes; Strategic Housing; Children’s Social Care
Project Manager
Rehousing Services Manager, SHL
Key Partners
Targeted Prevention Alliance; Alliance for Positive Relationships; Multi-Agency
Adults at Risk System (MAARS); Greater Manchester Authorities; Voluntary
and Community Sector
Resources
Staff time; existing budgets as appropriate; seek to secure external funding
Action
Start Date
Work with neighbouring authorities and
April 2017
Completion
Date
April 2018
Targets
Status
Appropriate sources of
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voluntary/community sector partners to ensure
advice and support is available to people from
abroad who may become ineligible
Work with Social Care and Stockport Family
service to review the St Basil’s Positive
Pathway and develop information packs and
accommodation pathways for young people
Continue to develop pathways and action
plans to work with individuals with complex
needs and barriers to rehousing to prevent
repeat homelessness.
December
2016
April 2018
December
2016
April 2020
Utilise the ‘Making it Count’ tool to help retain
existing services/make the case for future
commissioning for specific groups
Review prevention options available for
homeowners in light of the end of the Mortgage
Rescue Scheme and changes to Support for
Mortgage Interest
Support the Alliance for Positive Relationships
in developing appropriate options for people
fleeing domestic abuse, including staying put /
work with perpetrators
April 2018
April 2020
April 2017
April 2018
December
2016
April 2018
Review and promote housing options for older
people to support health, care and appropriate
accommodation needs
December
2016
April 2018
Review and adapt service provision for
April 2017
April 2018
support identified and
published; rough
sleeping levels reduced
Joint working protocol
and pathways reviewed;
reduction in unplanned
outcomes/homelessness
MAARS website and
literature reviewed;
options in place for
‘ineligible’ (Allocations
Policy)/repeat homeless
applicants
Value of existing projects
demonstrated e.g.
hospital discharges
Re-design of website
and literature directed at
homeowners; promotion
of shared ownership
Pathways to perpetrator
interventions
established; reduction in
homeless presentations;
increase in preventions –
remaining in own homes
Increased moves to
appropriate
accommodation;
decreased pressure on
health services
Pathways in place with
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offenders in light of changes to the National
Probation Service (NPS) and Community
Rehabilitation Company (CRC), ensuring there
are housing pathways available for this group
Aim 4
Key Objectives
CRC / NPS / any other
commissioned services;
increased homelessness
prevention
Identify and address the health needs of homeless people

Lead Agency/Agencies
Increase the stability of tenancies and temporary accommodation
placements for those with health needs
 Support the business case for developing new support services
Stockport Homes; Strategic Housing
Project Manager
Rehousing Services Manager, SHL
Key Partners
Public Health; Health and Wellbeing Board; Drug and Alcohol Services;
Voluntary and Community Sector
Resources
Staff time; existing budgets as appropriate
Action
Start Date
Undertake Homeless Link Health audit in light
of increased presentations from single people
with complex health needs, and develop action
plan based on the outcomes of this
Work jointly with partners in the borough to
share knowledge of and develop an approach
to tackling the use of new psychoactive
substances – formerly known as “legal highs”
Work with the local Health & Wellbeing Board
and health services to develop partnership
December
2016
Completion
Date
April 2017
April 2017
April 2018
April 2018
April 2020
Targets
Status
Audit undertaken and
action plan produced;
new services introduced
where needed
Housing represented
within Action Group; plan
in place to tackle use
Increased visibility of
housing issues at this
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working that prevents homelessness and
improve the health and wellbeing of local
people
Aim 5
Key Objectives
higher Strategic Level;
embedding of hospital
discharge project;
embedding of
counselling within TA
Support customers through welfare reform



Prevent homelessness due to welfare reform
Help customers to access affordable and sustainable accommodation
Provide appropriate support and advice to affected customers
Lead Agency/Agencies
Strategic Housing; Stockport Homes
Project Manager
Social Inclusion Manager, SHL
Key Partners
Stockport Housing Partnership; Stockport Credit Union
Resources
Staff time; existing budgets as appropriate
Action
Start Date
Pilot new ways of providing budgeting advice
to tenants using best practice
April 2017
Identify tenants affected by forthcoming
welfare reforms, particularly application of
Local Housing Allowance and benefit cap, and
offer targeted budgeting, employment advice
December
2016
Completion
Date
April 2018
April 2018
Targets
Status
Local guidelines for
direct payments
introduced; referral
pathways to advice
established
Dataset established by
SHP members; action
plan in place to
undertake targeted work
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and rehousing pathways
Continue to support digital inclusion strategies
in the borough to ensure residents are able to
manage the transition to Universal Credit
Undertake mapping of private sector
affordability in the borough against Local
Housing Allowance rates to establish
affordable housing options for customers
April 2017
April 2019
Digital access points and
assistance increased
across the borough
Mapping produced
identifying areas of
affordability; action plan
produced to target
landlords/increase stock
Increased staff training
in affordability;
Customers given
personalised action
plans; rehousing only
into affordable options
SROI assessed; savings
reflected in reduced rent
arrears / ability to meet
other payments
Literature produced and
provided to tenants
identified from previous
mapping; provision of
immediate loans to
customers; development
of support for purchasing
white goods; growth in
CU memberships and
loans granted
April 2017
April 2018
Undertake affordability assessments with all
customers presenting for advice and
assistance who are affected by welfare reform
changes to maximise income and prevent
homelessness
April 2017
April 2021
Support the development and expansion of
money-saving sources for customers e.g. Your
Local Pantry and furniture projects
April 2017
April 2019
Continue to work in partnership with Stockport
Council to support Stockport Credit Union,
particularly targeting customers affected by
forthcoming welfare reforms to encourage
savings and reduce the use of inappropriate
loans
April 2017
April 2019
Aim 6
Continuously monitor trends in homelessness and wider connected issues to
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ensure commitment to continuous improvement
Key Objectives


Develop and maintain regular insight to prevent future homelessness
Ensure a corporate commitment to continuous improvement through
achieving all 10 Gold Standard challenges
Lead Agency/Agencies
Stockport Homes; Strategic Housing
Project Manager
Homelessness Strategy Development Officer, SHL
Key Partners
Stockport Homelessness Forum; Voluntary and Community Sector; Stockport
Local Assistance Scheme (SLAS)
Resources
Staff time; external funding secured where possible.
Action
Start Date
Develop a more robust system for capturing,
profiling and monitoring rough sleepers to
ensure every individual has an action plan for
moving off the streets
Undertake quarterly monitoring of
repossession statistics in the borough,
particularly focussing on landlord
repossessions in light of findings within the
Review
Adapt and develop Stockport Local Assistance
Scheme in light of budget pressures to ensure
it is a viable prevention tool helping customers
remain in their existing homes
Achieve remaining Gold Standard challenges
April 2017
Completion
Date
April 2018
April 2017
April 2021
April 2017
April 2019
December
2016
April 2017
Targets
Status
New database / other
method of monitoring
introduced; reduced
duplication of services
Identification of
‘hotspots’; prevention
offer developed and
targeted at landlords
and tenants
SLAS to become more
sustainable; new
initiatives developed
e.g. food/fuel poverty
Stockport recognised as
‘Gold’ authority;
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Expand the capture of local data and
intelligence regarding homelessness via the
Stockport Homelessness Forum, using this to
develop local responses
April 2017
Aim 7
Develop and improve the private rented sector
Key Objectives



April 2019
continuous improvement
plan embedded
Data monitoring system
established and updated
on a quarterly basis;
action plan developed in
response if required to
target affected groups
Utilise Private Rented Sector Offer discharge powers to make best use
of stock and ensure customers are provided with suitable rehousing
options
Improve the quality and management of the private rented sector in
Stockport to make it a more thriving and viable option for customers,
especially under 35s
Provide support to landlords to prevent homelessness where possible
Lead Agency/Agencies
Stockport Homes; Strategic Housing
Project Manager
Housing Strategy Manager, SMBC
Key Partners
Stockport Homes Lettings Service; Revenues and Benefits; Environmental
Health; Shelter
Resources
Staff time; existing budgets as appropriate
Action
Start Date
Develop a dedicated contact point and
April 2018
Completion
Date
April 2019
Targets
Status
Service available and
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literature for private sector landlords
considering serving notice to prevent
homelessness / facilitate planned moves
Develop a scheme to offer affordable shared
accommodation for under 35s at the Local
Housing Allowance level
publicised; increased
prevention activity within
private sector
Sharing scheme in
place in both social and
private housing in time
for LHA changes;
minimised increase in
youth homelessness
Annual evaluation of
policy’s use; action plan
developed if needed
Improved literature and
website in place;
increase in landlords
registered with service
and rehousing options
available to customers
April 2017
April 2018
Monitor the use of the Private Rented Sector
Offer policy, evaluating the appropriateness of
each property used
Undertake promotional campaign and develop
package of incentives to attract landlords to
Stockport Homes’ Lettings Service
April 2017
April 2021
April 2017
April 2019
Aim 8
Seek to address local housing supply issues
Key Objectives
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


Have in place initiatives which reduce overcrowding and underoccupation
Ensure sufficient emergency accommodation options are in place
Grow the private rented sector and make best use of existing stock
Develop new housing options including development of stock for shared
ownership and market rent
Lead Agency/Agencies
Stockport Homes; Strategic Housing; Stockport Housing Partnership
Project Manager
Housing Strategy Manager, SMBC
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Key Partners
Registered Providers; Environmental Health; Voluntary and Community Sector
Resources
Staff time; existing budgets as appropriate
Action
Start Date
Review the Allocations Policy to make best use
of stock, particularly through mutual exchanges
between those who are overcrowded / underoccupying
Continue to support empty homes work,
particularly supporting the growth of the private
rented sector and shared accommodation
Support the implementation of development
strategies amongst local Registered Providers
December
2016
Develop an action plan around making best
use of temporary accommodation in light of
welfare reform changes and growing demand
from diverse customer groups
Completion
Date
April 2017
April 2018
April 2021
April 2017
April 2021
December
2016
April 2017
Targets
Status
Increased use of mutual
exchanges; customers
impacted by welfare
reforms minimised
Increase in the number
of empty homes brought
back into use for rent
Increase overall
affordable housing
supply for both rent and
ownership
Affordable temporary
accommodation
pathways in place for all
groups; current services
and placements made
more sustainable; no
use of bed & breakfast
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