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Homelessness rates hitting new highs
Helen Clifton28/12/2005
HUNDREDS of people in Oldham are facing a miserable new year, with new government figures showing that our borough has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the North West.
In July to September 2005, 254 local families, or 1.7 households in every 1,000, were officially homeless - which makes Oldham Council's problem the sixth highest out of the 44 local authorities in the region.
According to statistics from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the number of homeless families in Oldham is also higher than the national average of 1.2 households per thousand families.
Nevertheless, Cllr Peter Dean, cabinet member with responsibility for housing, said that Oldham's homelessness rates are actually improving, although he admitted that over the last 18 months the local housing list has doubled from 3,500 to 7,000.
He said: "We do have a problem with youth homelessness in the town, and to some degree there is a housing deficit and we need to build more new homes for rented accommodation.
"It is something that has hit most local authorities significantly over the last few years, and we can't quite put our finger on why.
"There are people researching it and it appears that families are changing, perhaps growing smaller."
Cllr Dean stressed that the council is building new developments to address the issue, including the opening last week of the Porter Street Centre for young homeless people.
The only regional authorities with worst rates for homelessness than Oldham were Wigan, Rochdale, Manchester, Carlisle and Salford. Salford was the authority with the biggest problem - 3.8 households per 1,000 were registered as homeless, which is the equivalent of 472 families.
Of Oldham's figures, only 24 of the 254 homeless households were successfully rehoused by the end of the three-month period in which the survey was carried out. Twenty of those affected were being housed in womens refuges or hostels.
Again, Cllr Dean said these figures were positive, and reflected the low numbers being rehoused in short-term accommodation, such as bed and breakfast.
He said: "We have seen a significant reduction in the numbers of people being housed in bed and breakfasts, which is a true indication of homelessness.
"We actually have one of the lowest rates of bed and breakfast placements in the country."
Adam Sampson, director of homelessness charity Shelter, supported Cllr Dean's view.
He said: "Although the number of people being accepted as homeless has fallen, the fact remains there are still record numbers of people trapped in temporary accommodation, and hundreds of thousands more in overcrowded or unfit housing."
Nationally, the figures showed an improvement, with 7,350 fewer homeless households in England compared with the same three-month period last year.
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In tourism it used to be that seasonal labour took in what were young persons as job with the accommodation. More and more labour is coming in as cheap labour with accom from Third World countries, indeed at one local fare I was offered labour with accom provided at less than B#500 a month.
In contrast too, the armed forces dispenses of its families who cannot get on the ladder as to either marriage break up single families, or end of contract/illhealth. The ladder of homeless due to ousting from quarters leaves the North West exposed to this sector of homeless, that cannot enter private accommodation as too dear, or afford to buy.
In smaller families what we are saying is domestic violence and flight from shared homes, marriage break ups, illness and parents going into nursing homes and the family home being sold to pay nursing fees that were part of council house stock till right to buy came as option.
To the homeless there is little choice as the rents are capped to suit the area. In private rents there are restrictions, no children, no pets, no smokers, and if lucky they may have furniture. If not they cannot take the accommodation.
My recommendations are access to the jobcentre plus where online vacancies include hotels who offer work and accommodation for single persons only. But in the sick and disabled there is a crisis.
In single parents there is no longer the supportive structure of extended families as each is trying to survive. Children are needing schooling nearby and car and transport are two big issues that need tackling in where children are housed. Out of county placement only works if there is a knowledge of hostels, and other accommodation. It is now easy for group share to kit out a home on ebay. But the fact is resources of homes for people with or without children was not answered when council houses were sold. The need for units of single person homes as terraces and of family homes was not solved after the second world war when Arcon tin instant homes were actioned. Land is now for commercial not domestic in towns and villaged disappear because of second home owners.
The price of homes in places offering regeneration is less at the moment but will rise. If more indepth view is needed from the Oldham councillors I am willing to share it. Oldham is a growth town in tourism not least because of the canal network and use of now holiday destination. It can resolve this by understanding the points system which does not address minus stock and maximum need in a society that has social problems. Address the social problems and some of that mountain of homeless will disappear.
18/01/2006 at 14:32