The future of design guides and codes
Jane Dann explains how the proposed National Planning Policy Framework and National Model Design Code changes will impact on future design codes.
Councils fear homelessness ‘tidal wave’
01/03/2021 Local authorities are braced for a surge in the number of homeless people as protections put in place for the COVID-19 pandemic are allowed to lapse. |
Rough sleeping stats: 'We're still a long way from zero'
25/02/2021 The number of people sleeping rough in England was up by more than half on 2010 despite the Everyone In scheme, the latest annual snapshot has shown. |
Homeless deaths rose by more than a third in past year, warn campaigners
22/02/2021 The number of homeless people who died last year increased by 37% despite the success of the Everyone In scheme, new research has revealed. |
Welfare state and social services had ‘serious weaknesses’ before COVID, study says
22/02/2021 A new study has revealed the extent to which the impact of COVID-19 has been exacerbated by pre-existing fault-lines in the welfare state and social services. |
Ban on bailiff evictions in England extended by six weeks
15/02/2021 A ban on bailiff evictions has been extended until the end of March to protect renters during the current lockdown restrictions. |
Homelessness figures highlight 'gross shortage' of social homes, warns charity
28/01/2021 Councils were only able to help a fifth of households at risk of homelessness to stay in their existing home, a charity has warned today. |
Councils across the UK join pioneering network to tackle homelessness
21/01/2021 Fifteen local authorities have now joined a new network to help tackle homelessness. |
COVID-19 reveals scale of rough sleeping ‘far exceeds’ previous estimates
14/01/2021 The scale of the rough sleeping population in England ‘far exceeds’ the Government’s previous estimates and has been made clear during the pandemic. |
Nearly 130,000 children in temporary accommodation during lockdown
13/01/2021 Around 450 primary schools’ worth of homeless children are spending lockdown in temporary accommodation amid a chronic shortage of affordable housing, council chiefs have warned. |
Councils asked to 'redouble efforts' on rough sleeping
08/01/2021 English councils have been asked to ‘redouble their efforts’ to help accommodate people sleeping rough, with the Government finding an additional £10m funding. |
Government urged to bring back Everyone In programme
07/01/2021 The Government has been urged to ensure all rough sleepers are housed during the third national lockdown. |
Council housing waiting lists could double due to COVID-19
22/12/2020 Local authority housing waiting lists could nearly double as a result of COVID-19, council chiefs have warned. |
Jenrick announces £310m to tackle homelessness
21/12/2020 Council leaders welcome Government’s funding pledge to tackle homelessness but warn long-term investment is needed rather than ‘one-off emergency response’. |
Charity warns a quarter of a million people trapped in temporary accommodation
17/12/2020 Over a quarter of a million people in England have been living in temporary accommodation throughout the pandemic, a homelessness charity has warned today. |
Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales hits record high
15/12/2020 The number of homeless people dying in England and Wales has reached the highest level since records began in 2013, according to official figures. |
Nearly 90,000 children set to spend Christmas in temporary housing, warns London Councils
14/12/2020 Nearly 90,000 children in the capital will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation organised by their local council, new figures have warned today. |
Rough sleepers to get extra support for drug and alcohol dependency
14/12/2020 Extra funding will be given to 43 areas across England to help rough sleepers recover from drug and alcohol misuse. |
London council rejects ‘cruel’ new immigration rules
10/12/2020 Lewisham Council has hit out at ‘draconian’ new immigration rules that make sleeping rough a legal ground to cancel or refuse permission to stay in the UK. |
One person every minute calls Shelter's emergency helpline
01/12/2020 A new person has called Shelter’s emergency helpline every minute in the past two months, the homelessness charity has revealed. |
Councils have 'serious concerns' over protecting rough sleepers this winter
24/11/2020 Some councils will face the 'difficult choice' of leaving people to sleep rough or placing them in unsafe accommodation this winter, a new report has warned. |
Councils worried about long-term impact of pandemic on homelessness
20/11/2020 Councils have recognised the positive effects of Government policy on homelessness during the pandemic, but are concerned these are only ‘temporary’ measures. |
Over half of teachers have worked with homeless children, study reveals
18/11/2020 More than half of state teachers (56%) have worked with homeless children in the past three years, a new study has revealed. |
Councils asked to review rough sleeping plans
05/11/2020 Councils have been asked to review their plans and ensure every rough sleeper is offered somewhere safe to go to help protect them from COVID-19. |
Crisis call for return of Everyone In
04/11/2020 The chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis has called for ring-fenced funding for councils to provide COVID-safe accommodation for anyone at risk of rough sleeping. |
Funding allocated for thousands of new homes for rough sleepers
29/10/2020 More than 3,300 new long-term homes for rough sleepers will be delivered by the end of March 2021, the Government has pledged. |
Rural homelessness doubles in past two years, campaigners warn
28/10/2020 Homelessness in rural areas has more than doubled since 2018, new research from campaigners has warned. |
New guidance to prevent care leavers becoming homeless
26/10/2020 Councils have been urged to identity care leavers that are at risk of becoming homeless, in new guidance published today. |
Charity blasts cost of 'shoddy and expensive' temporary accommodation
23/10/2020 Councils in England spent £1.2bn on providing temporary accommodation for homeless households in 2019/20, figures have revealed. |
Calls to invest £900m in ‘transitional supported housing’
15/10/2020 The Government has been urged to invest £900m to ensure the UK’s most ‘invisible’ vulnerable people have access to supported housing by a think tank. |
Councils secure £10m to help homeless people this winter
13/10/2020 Councils will receive a new £10m Cold Weather Fund to help rough sleepers stay safe this winter. |
Warning that homeless people will die this winter without action
08/10/2020 The Government has been urged to provide self contained accommodation for homeless people this winter to protect them from coronavirus by charities and health bodies. |
Black people three times more likely to experience homelessness, figures reveal
02/10/2020 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are being disproportionately impacted by homelessness, new figures have revealed. |
Councils call for investment to tackle key drivers of homelessness
28/09/2020 Councils have stopped nearly a quarter of a million households from becoming homeless since the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) in 2018, a review has found. |
Hundreds of homeless lives saved by emergency accommodation, researchers find
25/09/2020 More funding and emergency legal changes are ‘critical’ so local authorities can continue to support people in safe and secure accommodation, the chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis has said. |
Councils urged to combine employment support into homelessness services
21/09/2020 Personalised support from councils could help twice as many people stay in employment, a new paper has argued. |
Labour calls for extension of evictions ban to ‘avoid homelessness crisis’
18/09/2020 The Labour Party have called on the Government to extend the evictions ban due to end on Sunday to avoid a homelessness crisis this winter. |
Jenrick announces over £90m to tackle rough sleeping
17/09/2020 The Government has announced today that over £90m in funding will be given to local authorities to help them provide temporary housing to vulnerable people. |
Renters facing eviction given a 'Christmas truce'
11/09/2020 The Government has announced a 'winter truce' on the enforcement of evictions over the Christmas period. |
Calls for emergency funding to help tenants clear 'Covid-arrears'
28/08/2020 The Government has been urged to create a £270m investment package to help tenants clear rent arrears as a result of the pandemic. |
Evictions ban extended
21/08/2020 The Government has extended the ban on evictions of renters for a further month following lobbying by councils. |
Councils warn of ‘avalanche of evictions’
21/08/2020 The local government sector is braced for a deluge of homelessness following the end of the evictions ban. |
Plans to end homelessness will ‘fail’ without funding
13/08/2020 The Government’s pledge to end homelessness will fail unless services are fully funded in the upcoming spending review, the Salvation Army has warned. |
Welsh government announces £50m package to tackle homelessness
11/08/2020 The Welsh government has announced the onset of phase two of a package aimed at providing people with safe and secure homes. |
A modular solution to the housing crisis
10/08/2020 Richard Hyams says modular construction is the untapped answer to providing shelter to Britain’s homeless. |
Public bodies urged to work in partnership to eliminate rough sleeping
23/07/2020 Public bodies have failed to work together to tackle homelessness in Wales, a report has warned today. |
Jenrick unveils extra funding to help house vulnerable people
20/07/2020 Councils are being encouraged to apply for the government’s £266m fund to help vulnerable people move into long-term accommodation. |
Mistakes on homelessness are making matters worse, says Ombudsman
15/07/2020 Problems with the way councils are meeting their housing duties are making things worse for homeless people, the Ombudsman found. |
Charity warns 230,000 renters at risk of 'Covid-eviction'
06/07/2020 Nearly a quarter of a million private renters have fallen into arrears since the pandemic started, a homelessness charity has warned today. |
Rent arrears could see homelessness treble this year, campaigners warn
01/07/2020 Homelessness could treble this year due to financial impact of coronavirus, campaigners have warned today. |
£105m funding boost to help homeless off the streets after lockdown
24/06/2020 Ministers have unveiled a further £105m of funding to help keep rough sleepers off the streets after the pandemic. |
Councils call for suspension of No Recourse to Public Funds
12/06/2020 Council leaders have called on the Government to ensure vulnerable people can access support regardless of their immigration status during the pandemic. |
London Councils warn spending on homelessness is 'unsustainable'
08/06/2020 London boroughs are spending an extra £50m on homelessness services due to Covid-19, new figures have revealed. |
Frontline services warn of rise in homelessness
04/06/2020 Over of half of frontline services have seen a rise in homelessness due to the coronavirus pandemic, research has revealed today. |
Plan to build 6,000 new homes to 'end rough sleeping'
26/05/2020 The Government has pledged to provide long-term homes for those people taken off the streets during the pandemic. |
Councils 'unlikely to cope' with rise in homelessness
22/05/2020 Campaigners have warned that councils are unlikely to cope with a rise in homelessness after figures showed half of homeless households were unable to secure a home before the pandemic. |
‘Golden opportunity’ to end rough sleeping
22/05/2020 The Government has been urged to commit £100m to councils in a bid to end rough sleeping in England. |
Scots charities launch bid to end rough sleeping
21/05/2020 A coalition of Scots charities will today present plans their plans to end rough sleeping to the Scottish Government. |
Councils urged to make bold changes to end homelessness
20/05/2020 Local authorities have been urged to take practical steps to ensure nobody is forced to sleep rough once the lockdown is over. |
District councils warn 500,000 at risk of homelessness
06/05/2020 Almost 500,000 households are at high risk of becoming homeless as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, new analysis for the District Councils’ Network (DCN) has revealed. |
Councils have supported 90% of rough sleepers during pandemic
04/05/2020 Councils have offered accommodation to 90% of known rough sleepers to keep them safe during the pandemic, the Government has confirmed. |
Social landlords asked to only allow essential home moves
28/04/2020 Social housing landlords have been asked to pause any non-urgent house moves to help limit the spread of coronavirus. |
Hotels supporting key workers and homeless to stay open
26/03/2020 Hotels, hostels and B&Bs supporting key workers and vulnerable people are to remain open as part of the effort to contain the coronavirus. |
Councils 'failing' homeless veterans, campaigners warn
24/03/2020 Campaigners have warned councils are failing to take account of veterans in their housing and homelessness strategies. |
Homeless families need more Coronavirus protection, charity says
20/03/2020 Families in temporary accommodation should be provided with better protection against Coronavirus, a housing charity has said. |
Emergency funding to help rough sleepers self-isolate
18/03/2020 Councils will be reimbursed the cost of helping homeless people self-isolate to prevent the spread of coronavirus. |
Tory MPs call for more funding for services to prevent rough sleeping
16/03/2020 A group of 10 Conservative MPs have called for a move from a policy of ‘housing first’ to one of ‘prevention first’ that would see more funding go to services aimed at preventing homelessness. |
Lack of housing stopping councils from helping homeless people, charity warns
10/03/2020 A lack of affordable housing is forcing local authorities to leave people homeless, a homelessness charity has warned. |
Service reform needed to tackle persistent use of Spice within homeless population
06/03/2020 Legislation has failed to reduce the use of Spice by homeless people, a new study has concluded. |
Number of homeless people admitted to hospital rises 130% in five years
03/03/2020 Homelessness led to a sharp increase in the number of hospital admissions in the past year, new research has revealed. |
PM announces extra £236m to tackle rough sleeping
27/02/2020 The Government has announced an extra £236m to help get rough sleepers off the street and will lead an ‘urgent review’ into what forces people to sleep rough. |
Housing benefit reform a ‘false economy’
27/02/2020 Councils have been left carrying the financial burden of reforms to housing benefit, new research has revealed today. |
Call for ‘urgent action’ to stop people sleeping in bins
24/02/2020 Waste companies have called for a collaborative approach to stopping homeless people from sleeping in bins as new figures reveal a 15% increase in the practice over the last half decade. |
An innovative approach to tackling homelessness
21/02/2020 Cllr Sue Fennimore explains what innovative approach Hammersmith & Fulham Council is taking to tackle homelessness. |
Extending support for refugees could save millions, research finds
18/02/2020 Helping new refugees for longer could help save the public purse millions of pounds every year, new research has revealed today. |
Majority of homeless women suffer mental health issues
17/02/2020 A new study has revealed that the vast majority of women who are homeless suffer from physical or mental health issues. |
Calls to close down Harlow’s office blocks ‘ghettos’
14/02/2020 Converted office blocks that are being used to house vulnerable homeless people should be closed down, the MP for Harlow has said. |
Scotland has ‘highest rate’ of homeless deaths in Britain, figures reveal
06/02/2020 Scotland has over twice the number of homelessness deaths than England, ‘experimental statistics’ reveal. |
Temporary accommodation industry worth £1.1bn
04/02/2020 An investigation has revealed that councils are spending £1.1bn on temporary accommodation every year, with 86% going to private landlords or companies. |
Calls for urgent reform of Local Housing Allowance rates
03/02/2020 Changes to Local Housing Allowance rates will fail to protect people from homelessness, the Scottish housing minister has warned. |
Building society pilots ‘contactless’ donation scheme to tackle homelessness
31/01/2020 A branch of the building society Nationwide has introduced a novel new way to donate to a homelessness charity – ‘contactless posters’. |
Thousands miss out on drug services due to cuts, charity finds
29/01/2020 At least 12,000 people experiencing homelessness missed out on vital drug and alcohol services last year, new research has revealed. |
Seven out of 10 councils overspend on homelessness
28/01/2020 Seven out of 10 English councils overspent their homelessness budgets in 2018/19 by a combined total of nearly £115m, Local Government Association (LGA) analysis has found. |
Rough sleeping programme gets £115m funding boost
28/01/2020 Funding for the Rough Sleeping Initiative will be increased by 30% this year to enable councils to deliver up to 6,000 new bed spaces. |
UK ‘haemorrhaging’ social housing, charity warns
28/01/2020 A homelessness charity has warned in response to new Government figures that the UK is ‘haemorrhaging’ social housing each year. |
Charity drops legal action against Glasgow Council
15/01/2020 Shelter has dropped legal action against Glasgow City Council after the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) announced it was intervening. |
Local housing allowance ‘freeze’ ended
14/01/2020 The Government has announced that it will end the four-year freeze on the local housing allowance (LHA) which charities blame for a rise in homelessness. |
PM pledges £260m to ‘eliminate’ homelessness
24/12/2019 The Prime Minister has pledged £260m to help local authorities prevent homelessness and rough sleeping. |
Welfare reform drives ‘sofa surfing’, council chiefs warn
23/12/2019 Council leaders have called on the Government to adapt welfare reforms as research finds changes to the benefits system have been a driver of ‘sofa surfing’. |
Council chiefs call for welfare reform to tackle homelessness
19/12/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the new Government to adapt welfare reforms so that they protect families at risk of becoming homeless. |
Rough sleeping in Greater Manchester down by nearly 40%
18/12/2019 Mayor of Greater Manchester urges the Government to do more to help the homeless as figures reveal rough sleeping has fallen by 37% in one year. |
Around 280,000 people will be homeless this Christmas, charity warns
18/12/2019 A new study has revealed that 280,000 people are recorded as homeless in England – an increase of 23,000 since 2016. |
Khan urges Londoners to support rough sleepers this winter
17/12/2019 Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on residents of the capital to support his winter rough sleeping campaign ahead of Christmas. |
Council’s homelessness service suffers ‘serious weaknesses’
09/12/2019 A housing regulator has launched an inquiry to investigate ‘serious weaknesses’ in Glasgow City Council’s service for people who are homeless. |
Overdose victims in Glasgow saved 17 times in four months
04/12/2019 Glasgow Council has released figures showing that overdose victims were revived 17 times in four months at its night shelter. |
A child loses their home ‘every eight minutes’, charity says
03/12/2019 The number of children without a home in Britain is at the highest it has been in 12 years, a homelessness charity has revealed. |
Lib Dems unveil plans to tackle homelessness
28/11/2019 The Liberal Democrats have set out a raft of plans to end rough sleeping if they won the General Election. |
Collaboration is the key to tackling homelessness
27/11/2019 With the support of stakeholders, including forward-thinking local authorities, Beam’s innovative support model ‘swiftly removes every barrier faced by homeless people from entering the workforce’, says Seb Barker. |
New grants to support Housing First services
27/11/2019 Five housing providers have been awarded £450,000 to help support people facing chronic homelessness and multiple disadvantages. |
Launch of world’s first ‘gender-lens’ property fund
26/11/2019 The first gender-lens property fund to support women at risk of homelessness has been launched, aiming to raise £100m. |
Families forced into homelessness by ‘unaffordable’ housing
20/11/2019 A charity has warned families are being pushed into homelessness as figures reveal nine in 10 homes are unaffordable to families relying on housing benefit. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
