Demand for council homelessness services in Rotherham rises 15 per cent

The homelessness prevention and rough sleeper strategy progress report by Tom Bell, council assistant director of housing outlines the council's aims, performance and future plans to prevent homelessness.

The report states the council saw a total of 1,813 new cases in 2019-20, compared with 1,577 in 2018-19 - an increase of 15 per cent.

The number of homeless households in temporary accommodation also rose during 2020, from 53 in the week commencing March 3, to 80 in the week commencing June 15.

The report outlines the steps the council has taken to prevent people from becoming homeless, including being awarded £380,000 of funding to support rough sleepers, developing a specialist team to help rough sleepers off the streets and also being awarded funding for three prevention officers to work with local prisons.

Prevention officers will work with the prison system to undertake a homelessness assessment, so there is a plan in place on release of former prisoners.

A document to the improving places select committee says the 15 per cent increase of new cases is down to other agencies referring homeless people to council services.

The document states the outreach team has seen an increase in homelessness during the corornavirus lockdown and due to the lack of 'move on' options, the number of people in the 'prevention stage' isdecreasing.

It states: “In Rotherham at the end of March 2020 prior to lock down there was one known rough sleeper.

“On June 12, in accordance with government guidelines, the team were accommodating 62 people to prevent them from sleeping rough and 46 households were in hotels.

“Nationally, there has been 14,610 people accommodated to prevent them sleeping rough.”

Between April 2019 and March 2020, the council carried out 6,122 checks on tenants to prevent any problems from escalating that may lead to people's tenancies becoming jeopardised.

As a result of the checks, one referral was made to children’s safeguarding due to concerns about a child, 42 referrals were made to activities due to loneliness, and 16 referrals were made for mental health support.

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