Chill-Out Campaign

Still got mine at the ready, but hope its good news.

hinch wrote:The Chill-Out organisers have been invited to a meeting unexpectedly this week with the councillors in charge of Housing and Adult Care plus some big-hitters from the council staff.

I am hoping it will be good news of some sort though the meeting date is ominous... the 13th!

Hmmm. Will keep you all posted; good news or bad.

Hope you haven't sold those pop-up tents just yet folks.

mmm interesting something is going on

I was waiting for Pete to do it because he is more eloquent with these updates than I am but here's my take on the meeting yesterday:

Hinch and I (as Chill-Out Co-Organisers) met with Councillors Terry Linden and Jean Hornby together with Ian Jolley (Homelessness) and Donna Bowler (Strategic Housing).

Terry and Jean have been working extremely hard to safeguard the "homelessness" budget and had been relatively successful so far.

Terry also has a few ideas for improving on the existing provision for those who are homeless within the Borough but at the moment it all depends on the outcome of other decisions.

Ian confirmed that the promised "No 2nd Night Out" based provision aimed at rough sleepers is still going ahead and would be in place before winter.

Donna (together with the others) went into detail with regards to how the Government led changes to benefits and housing policy are going to have a dramatic (and worrying) effect on the residents of our Borough.

"Homelessness" is rising and it is expected to continue to rise and as a result has become more of a political priority than it once was.

It was agreed by everyone that there needs to be a change in the way "homelessness" is communicated because most people's perception is that it only refers to those who have lost the roofs over their heads but it also covers the many, many, individuals and families who are at risk of losing their homes.

When Chill-Out first started out we were asking for RMBC to review their policies and they are continuing to do this and have made changes to the way they operate. However, due to the soon to be introduced draconian changes to the benefits and housing system (my words) it is apparent to everyone that there needs to be a major and in depth look at the whole "homelessness" policy (need to come up with a better term so that we communicate clearly that this also includes those at risk) borough wide.

This proposed review can either be looked at in a positive or negative way. My stance is that it can be positive rather than negative - it all depends how it is handled. There is an opportunity here for the Borough (RMBC, providers, charities, volunteers, etc.) to come up with a workable and compassionate policy if the willingness is there to achieve it and speaking personally I believe it is.

My understanding was that there will be a full review (over the next 12 months) and one of the outcomes may be that some aspects of "homelessness" may be passed over to RBH (or some other RSL) but that nothing is rubber-stamped and all is dependent on the outcome of the consultation. Hinch and I (as Chill-Out) were asked to join the steering group - no decision as been made yet because we wanted to update the Chill-Outers and get feedback.

Following the meeting Terry and Ian (together with myself) visited the Cellar Project in Heywood and Terry spoke in-depth with some of the visitors and volunteers there. It was a moving experience as we listened to people (who are far too often voiceless) speak first hand about the practicalities of sleeping rough as well as what it is like to have a roof over your head but no money left to buy food after the rent etc. is paid. Some amazing yet simple ideas were discussed which could have a dramatic effect on the quality of peoples lives for the sake of very little money.

There's probably tons more that I've forgot to add but I am sure Hinch will fill in the gaps.

Thank you Spartacus, didn't expect such a speedy up-date and 'interim' .

Yes thanks Spartacus. I have every faith that you and Hinch will carry on fighting the good fight in the same great way you have up to now. Feel sorry for the local authorities as they are going to have thousands becoming homeless due to this government's policies, and of course the poor victims, the individuals and families that will become homeless.

Homeless families in B&B accommodation up by 44%
National Housing Federation points to rise as 20 councils warned about housing families in B&Bs for 'unacceptably long time'

The National Housing Federation found that between January and March 2012 there were 3,960 families nationwide living in B&Bs, up from 2,750 over the same period in 2011.

The Guardian, Mon 17 Sep 2012 00.12 BST

The number of homeless families put up by councils in bed and breakfast accommodation has risen by almost half, according to an analysis of official figures. The rise comes after ministers warned 20 councils not to house families in B&Bs for six weeks or more.
The National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, found that between January and March 2011 there were 2,750 families nationwide living in B&Bs. In the same period in 2012 this had risen to 3,960, an increase of 44%.
The federation also says the number of homeless families is increasing, pushing up demand for "emergency temporary accommodation" (B&Bs). In the past two years, the number of households accepted as homeless has risen by 10,000 to 50,290.
The problem is acute in inner London, where the government's policy of capping housing benefit has caused thousands of families to approach councils to help cover the shortfall between rent and state subsidies. Westminster council said it now had more than "1,150 households approach for advice and assistance due to the local housing allowance (LHA) cap. In July, 141 households approached for advice, an increase of 27 on the previous month."
"We believe the rise in acceptances is the result of the LHA caps and a high proportion of applications coming from families who are unable to find alternative accommodation, who we are required to accept through homeless legislation," the council said.
Because of the shortage of affordable properties for low-income people, many are being exported out of London. According to Westminster, "in the last month we have secured properties in Hemel Hempstead, Bletchley, Maidstone and Grays" to house the homeless.
The federation says this sort of temporary accommodation is preferable to B&Bs, which lead to poor people having no security of tenure. However, it warned that from April 2013, families living in these homes could be hit by another cap which limits the total amount of benefits paid to households to £500 a week.
"As [homes in the private rental sector] become more expensive to rent and manage, this could mean families are unable to pay the rent – pushing them back into B&Bs, or even on to the streets," it said.
The government has not yet confirmed how the benefit cap will affect people living in temporary accommodation and what measures will be taken to protect the service.David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "In a B&B, whole families can find themselves sharing one room and they are often shut out of their accommodation during the day, causing huge disruption to daily routines of school and work. Every child deserves a decent home to come back to after school, where they feel secure, and where they can sit down to do their homework. That is what temporary accommodation provides.
"Without the safety net of temporary accommodation, thousands more families will find themselves in a vicious cycle of homelessness.
"It is essential that the government puts in place measures to protect this crucial service and the vulnerable families who depend on it."
Mark Prisk, the Tory housing minister, said: "There is no excuse for any family to be stuck in bed and breakfast accommodation, and we have offered support to those 20 councils who between them account for 80% of families in this situation for an unacceptably long time.
"We have some of the strongest protections in the world to safeguard people from homelessness, and levels remain lower than in 28 of the last 30 years. Councils have a range of options at their disposal to help anyone facing the threat of losing their home, and to help them further we've increased the discretionary housing pot to about £400m over the spending period to help families with the transition to the new, fairer system of benefits."

Worrying. There but for the grace of God.

23 Sept 2012: in COUNCIL PLANS TO TIGHTEN ITS BELT ....

Despite assurances given to homelessness organisations and the ‘Chill-Out’ campaign, a further £300,000 is planned to be axed from the budget for homeless people. This despite the 200% increase in number of the borough’s homeless and calls from Simon Danczuk MP for a ‘rethink’ on the issue.



OK, what is in the future RMB pipeline that we CAN do without ?