Council saves £2.5m through new ways of aiding homeless

The number of temporary accommodation placements from the private sector has fallen from 385 in September 2008 to 32 on in January 2011, a reduction of over 91 per cent, the authority has revealed.

The annual saving relating to this reduced use of temporary accommodation is £2.5m.

Yesterday the council said it had been commended for its work with homeless people and has been awarded a substantially higher grant allocation for this year.

The council will receive a Homeless Grant allocation from the government of £1.04m (for 2011-12) – an increase of 136 per cent on the £441,000 received in 2010-11.

The council, along with two voluntary sector organisations, CRI and Create, have been cited by the Government for innovative practice in tackling rough sleeping and awarded regional champions status for this work.

Councillor Peter Gruen, Leeds Council executive board member for neighbourhoods and housing said: “We are extremely pleased with the news that we have been awarded a much higher grant allocation for this vital cause.

“This will allow us to continue the great work we do and far more. The focus on homeless prevention and success at reducing temporary accommodation placements is not solely about tackling homelessness; rather it shows what public services can achieve if resources are used in an innovative and flexible way.”

In Leeds, homeless prevention initiatives include the Sanctuary scheme, a partnership which provides security measures to create a ‘safer’ living environment for people who have experienced domestic violence or hate crime.

The Leeds figures were released as housing charity Shelter revealed that 390 households in Bradford are on the brink of losing their homes due to repossession or eviction.

The charity has launched a campaign to ‘Save the Housing Safety Net’ and is calling on people in Bradford to sign a petition urging MPs to stop changes going through Parliament that will reduce protection for those whose homes are under threat.