Homelessness
The vast majority of people who are homeless are not actually sleeping on the streets but are living in insecure or unsafe accommodation, in temporary accommodation or staying with family or friends. This includes people who are in hostels, refuges, squats, sleeping on a friend's sofa or living in overcrowded or poor conditions.
There is often no single event which on its own results in people losing their home. The cumulative affects of a series of events over a period of time sometimes results in homelessness. For many people the most common type of temporary accommodation is staying with family and friends, sofa surfing or squatting. Consequently people do not engage with services early on in the process and can become 'hidden homeless'.
The home is about safety, security, familiarity, somewhere that the person identifies as their home and is linked to their personal identity. Homelessness is not solely the loss of the roof but the loss of all of these.
Homelessness Prevention
Homelessness Prevention is central to the approach adopted by local authorities in the East London sub region. Each local authority has developed a strategy based on a review of homelessness in their borough. Homelessness prevention focuses on activities that enable people to remain in their accommodation where it is safe and possible for them to do so.
The three key stages are
- Early Intervention - to identify those at risk before matters escalate
- Pre Crisis Intervention - such as advice, support, negotiation with landlords, mediation, to avoid loss of the home and security of tenure
- Preventing Recurring Homelessness - tenancy sustainment, holistic support and addressing problems that cannot be resolved by re-housing alone
The most common causes of homeless in East London are - loss of last settled home due to parents or friends no longer willing to accommodate, domestic violence, end of a short hold tenancy, mortgage arrears, violence or harassment, non-violent breakdown of relationship, loss of rented accommodation or leaving an institution.
Homelessness prevention measures found to be effective in the sub region are rent deposit schemes, home visits to people at risk of homelessness, mediation for young people at risk of homelessness, supported housing projects, advocacy in landlord/tenant disputes, Sanctuary security enhancements for survivors of domestic violence and signposting to floating support or other helping service providers.
East London Homelessness Group
The Homelessness Project is delivered through a collaboration of the Homelessness Managers from each of the eight local authorities and representatives from the registered social landlords in the sub region.
The work of the group includes broad strategic and operational issues with the aim of extending collaborative work on homelessness prevention across the sub region for the benefit of the people of East London.
The Homelessness Group works together with charity and voluntary sector partners on projects that enhance the work taking place on homelessness and temporary accommodation by individual boroughs.
The Homelessness Project is coordinated by the Homelessness Project Manager.
The Groups strategic objectives for 2009 - 2011 are
- Prevent homelessness and reduce the number of homeless households in temporary accommodation
- Minimise homelessness through domestic violence
- Reduce rough sleeping
- Promote the sharing of good practice between the boroughs, registered providers and others active in East London and foster innovation in tackling homelessness
- Understand and respond to the potential impact of the 2012 Olympics on homelessness in the sub-region
- Engage with Registered Social Landlords to maximise their role in homelessness prevention
For more information about the East London Homelessness Project contact the Homelessness Project Manager margaret.williams@elhp.org.uk or telephone 07772 221 482.
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness contact your local authority housing advice centre or one of the agencies below for support and advice.
Useful links
Downloads
Homelessness Strategic Approach 2009-12 
PDF 27K
No One Left Out in East London 2009-13 PDF 856K
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