Homelessness duty 'would cost councils £44m'

[Tony Gosling]

Homelessness duty 'would cost councils £44m'
10 May 2016 0:01 am | By Heather Spurr
http://www.911forum.org.uk/board/viewtopic.php?p=172583#172583
Introducing a new homelessness prevention duty 
would initially cost English councils £44m a year in total, a report has found.
A panel of housing experts, organised by Crisis, 
last month officially published its 
recommendations calling on ministers to introduce 
new duties on councils to prevent people becoming homeless.
Inside Housing revealed in January that the 
Department for Communities and Local Government 
(DCLG) is considering changing the law to bring 
in the new duty, which has already been implemented in Wales.
Today’s provisional research findings, undertaken 
by academics and published by Crisis, found that 
local authorities would spend in total £43.9m a 
year on homelessness prevention under the new scheme.
However, it found that these extra costs would 
eventually be offset by £46.8m a year due to 
fewer full homelessness duty cases, because people would get help quicker.
The DCLG has not confirmed whether or not it 
would match new legislation with extra money for councils.
Last year, the Welsh Government imposed a duty on 
councils to prevent homelessness within 56 days, backed with £4.9m for 2015/16.
English councils’ responses to the expert panel’s 
conclusions have been mixed, with many warning 
that they will need additional investment and 
housing in order to implement the recommendations.
Labour mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said last 
month: “If you say somebody’s homeless and I have 
to house them, I have to have a place to house them. I can’t magic things up.”
The DCLG has been contacted for comment.
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/policy/health-and-care/homelessness/homelessness-duty-would-cost-councils-44m/7015149.article