Housing Needs and Experiences (original) (raw)

Accommodation for ex-offenders: Third sector housing advice and provision

Links between homelessness and offending are well-established in literature with about a third of offenders being without a home either before or after imprisonment. Housing has been recognised as one of the key factors that can reduce re-offending and is one of the seven Reducing Re-Offending Pathways established by the Reducing Re-Offending National Action Plan in 2004. The identification of housing as one of the Pathways and the move towards partnership working with third sector organisations (TSOs) to reduce re-offending have led to a number of initiatives which involve housingrelated TSOs. These organisations are typically contracted into prisons to provide housing advice and support, or provide offenders with access to temporary accommodation in short-stay hostels and Approved Premises. Despite the involvement of housing-TSOs, offenders and ex-offenders still face numerous challenges when trying to secure accommodation. The prescribed criteria for assessing homelessness, local nomination and allocation policies and the presence of a criminal and prison record are all factors which can delay or prevent provision of housing for ex-offenders. This paper draws on a qualitative study in eight prisons and one probation area and a short survey of 680 offenders to examine the role of the third sector in assisting offenders and ex-offenders to find suitable accommodation. The results show that there have been several positive developments in the last ten years, with many prisons now having a dedicated housing advisor and important links with TSOs and housing providers. There remain, however, numerous barriers to effective housing advice and provision. Factors include: lack of available housing stock; difficulties of partnership working, where partners differ on whether they view housing for ex-offenders with urgency; restrictions on the types of offenders likely to be prioritised and local exclusion policies. The paper also discusses the limitations of recent policies to increase the use of the private rented sector in housing homeless people, and the limitations of Social Impact bonds and Payment by Results. It emphasises the need for a more transparent housing priority assessment system in increasing housing opportunities for marginalised groups, such as short-sentenced prisoners and young offenders, but notes that provisions for greater flexibility, discretion and conditionality in social housing lettings following the Localism Act move things in precisely the opposite direction.

Housing ex‐prisoners: the role of the third sector

Safer Communities, 2013

Temporary Accommodation in Scotland: Final Report

2018

to provide the tools necessary for effective partnership working are lent support by the results of this study. 15. There is currently controversy in some quarters about the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group's recommendations, with some local informants rejecting particular elements, in particular the emphasis on Housing First and rapid rehousing, and associated critiques of hostels. These views were particularly common in high hostel using areas and among providers of this form of accommodation. Key stakeholders in the homelessness sector should seek to strengthen the consensus around these recommendations to facilitate their implementation.

Temporary Accommodation in London : Local authorities under pressure

2016

This research describes the policy and market context for the provision of temporary accommodation in London, and boroughs’ difficulties in securing accommodation to house homeless households. The likely cost of temporary accommodation across London in 2014/15 was close to £663m. The level of expenditure met by London boroughs specifically from their own General Funds can be estimated at just over one quarter of that cost, or £170m.

Imaginary Homelessness Prevention with Prison Leavers in Wales

Social Policy and Society, 2019

In this article we engage in a critical examination of how local authority Housing Solutions staff, newly placed centre stage in preventing homelessness amongst prison leavers in Wales, understand and go about their work. Drawing on Carlen’s concept of ‘imaginary penalities’ and Ugelvik’s notion of ‘legitimation work’ we suggest practice with this group can be ritualistic and underpinned by a focus on prison leavers’ responsibilities over their rights, and public protection over promoting resettlement. In response we advocate for less-punitive justice and housing policies, underpinned by the right to permanent housing for all prison leavers and wherein stable accommodation is understood as the starting point for resettlement. The analysis presented in this article provides insights to how homelessness policies could play out in jurisdictions where more joint working between housing and criminal justice agencies are being pursued and/or preventative approaches to managing homelessnes...

Secure Accommodation In Scotland: Its Role and Relationship With'Alternative'Services

2006

This study could not have been carried out without the support and co-operation of many people whose contribution we would like to acknowledge. Special thanks are due to the young people who agreed to us finding out how they had fared, and sometimes also talked with us. The research team learned a great deal from them and their experience and for this we are very grateful. We also very much appreciate the vital contribution of social workers, residential staff and workers in community-based projects who both helped with recruitment and took time to provide key information on their work with the young people and how they had responded. Too many people and agencies were involved for each to be named, but all their support was greatly valued. Secure unit managers were also very helpful in facilitating access to staff and young people and in keeping the research team up to date on service developments within their units. In addition we are grateful to a wide range of professionals and decision makers who agreed to be interviewed for the study. These included social work managers, panel chairs, reporters, head teachers, LAC nurses, mental health specialists and children's rights officers.

Rethinking preventing homelessness amongst prison leavers

European Journal of Probation, 2018

The Wales (Housing) Act 2015 introduced a preventative approach to addressing homelessness that impacted on prison leavers in Wales. Since the same changes will take effect in England from October 2018, this paper provides early insight into how new preventative duties have been implemented in Wales. Drawing on interviews with 114 stakeholders and 75 prison leavers, we report that the promise associated with a preventative agenda is presently not fully realised. We contend that resettlement activity might be improved if it was better incentivised and facilitated inside the prison wall. However, we also suggest the time has come for more radical options to be pursued to address homelessness amongst prison leavers. We argue against short prison sentences, which are so often causative of homelessness, and for providers of probation services to be better incentivised and resourced to take a more active role in meeting accommodation needs.

in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, which he -(a) is entitled to occupy by virtue of an interest in it or by virtue of an order of a court, (b) has an express or implied licence to occupy, or (c) occupies as a residence by virtue of any enactment or rule of law giving him the right to remain in occupation or restricting the right of another person to recover possession.

Housing Needs and Experiences (original) (raw)

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