Numbers of households approaching the council declaring themselves "homeless" is on the rise, as demand for affordable homes increases. .
Monday 5th December 2022 12:20pm
Hartlepool’s said to be sleepwalking into a “Housing Crisis” after official reports set to be put before the council’s Finance & Policy committee meeting next week shows 111 households had to be placed into temporary accommodation, after the council struggled to find homes for applicants.
Insufficient Social housing stock, varying availability & affordability of the areas private rented housing market & properties deemed unsuitable due to people with disabilities has all been blamed for the council seeing unprecedented levels of applicants declared homeless in the last year.
Its claimed the council is also now seeing increasing difficulties in referring people into temporary accommodation through the use of Hotels & B&Bs with it been reported that a number of firms reportedly wont accept households receiving support from the council until assessments of their circumstances are completed.
Where the councils been left unable to find accommodation to many of the towns homeless, its claimed that HBC has been left having to move applicants out of the local authority area into other boroughs whilst their homelessness applications are fully assessed & more permanent accommodation is found.
Out of the 430 applicants who’d presented themselves to the council as “homeless” between April 2021 to March 2022, its been revealed that 221 were owed the relief duty by the council.
209 were classed as in the Homeless Prevention category, meaning the council offered “support” to prevent those applicants from losing their home through welfare advice & other means of support , with two applicants deemed not to be “not homeless” under the councils statutory regulations.
Seven applicants subsequently withdrew their homeless application altogether, with one deemed “not eligible for assistance”, possibly due to immigration status.
Landlord's are reportedly selling up primarily due to the increasing legislation & "Red tape" associated with private rental properties...
Sheriff St, in the towns Victoria Ward where a significant number of private rented properties, high crime & abandoned homes has left the area with significant issues....
Hartlepool’s reported to be seeing a significant rise in tenants reportedly struggling with their rents, as private landlords find the housing sector to be “ a nightmare to manage” following additional regulatory pressures brought in by the government in an effort to tighten up the private rented sector & drive up housing standards, with Hartlepool’s private rented housing availability said to be "dwindling", as landlords sell up, taking advantage of higher interest rates & a strong sales market, which is in turn pushing up demand & that of rental prices on available lets on the market...
You now need to register TWICE if you want to be considered for social housing, & its all said to be adding to the pressures for some households.
Issues with Hartlepool's Choice Based Lettings System is also said to be creating “confusion” amongst many, with claims the area now has two separate Choice Based Lettings systems to choose from leaving applicants having to apply twice to both the local council & to the area’s largest private landlord Thirteen Housing Group.
And with two separate housing policies in place from two separate providers, its claimed many are finding renting in Hartlepool both in the social sector & privately to be a “minefield”, with many seemingly giving up to leave the borough in favour of areas where social housing stocks are in better supply, or application processes are quicker…. & in some cases “fairer” towards those depending on their circumstances.
Comments