Conference to share best practice in tackling homelessness in London » Housing » 24dash.com

Housing professionals are being encouraged to attend an essential one-day regional conference that will bring together experts in tackling homelessness.

Tackling Homelessness in London takes place on Wednesday 11th February at ExCel London and costs just £70+VAT per delegate.

It is being hosted by East Thames Group, the first housing association appointed as a homelessness champion for London.

The conference is taking place at a time when homelessness is in danger of increasing, after falling steadily in recent years. Just a few weeks ago the FSA announced that home repossessions are up 71% in one year.

Latest figures show that in London 13,800 families are ‘priority need’ homeless and a further 53,870 are in temporary accommodation.

At the event, key London policy makers and influential organisations will outline their vision for addressing homelessness, as well as good practice case studies that have resulted in successes. This includes:

• Richard Blakeway, director of housing, Greater London Authority – vision for London - meeting tomorrow’s challenges
• Tom Dacey, chair of g15 and chief executive of Southern Housing Group – the g15’s Offer to London in tackling homelessness
• Sean McLaughlin, director of housing and adult social services, Islington Council (tbc) – partnership working to improve sanctuary services
• David Chesterton, director, East Potential – supporting young people out of homelessness and into work – the foyer approach

For a full agenda visit www.east-homes.co.uk/homelessnessconference

The conference will emphasise the need for housing associations, local authorities and other organisations to work together effectively, including partnership working to move families on from temporary accommodation, and integrated services and strategies to prevent homelessness and tackle worklessness.

The need for improved partnership working was a key theme of the Housing Corporation’s strategy for tackling homelessness, and it is expected to continue to be a priority for the new Homes and Communities Agency.

Delegates will be invited to take part in a ‘speed dating’ activity to explore how they can work with others and make pledges on how their organisation can contribute to Government targets to reduce homelessness.

The Government’s 2005 strategy to reduce homelessness, Sustainable Communities: Settled Homes, Changing Lives, aims to halve the number of households in temporary accommodation by 2010, including by increasing the supply of new social housing and making better use of existing social and private rented stock to provide settled homes. The Government also recently set out its vision to end rough sleeping by 2012 in No one left out: Communities ending rough sleeping.

Latest Government figures (for quarter two, 2008) show 74,690 households are in temporary accommodation in England, a 26% decrease from the 2004 baseline of 101,030. Far less progress has been made in London, with temporary accommodation households falling just 13% (from 61,670 to 53,870) during the same period. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of households in temporary accommodation in England are in London.

A few weeks ago the g15, a group of 15 influential London housing associations, launched its ‘Offer to London’ on tackling homelessness. The Offer set out a number of pledges including to: make more homes available to help meet the temporary housing reduction target; make better use of housing stock; help families maintain their tenancies; and improve partnership working with local authorities in the capital. Read the Offer at www.g15.org.uk/publications.

June Barnes, chief executive, East Thames Group, said: “Despite really positive work by many organisations, we still have an unacceptable number of homeless families in London. An affordable, comfortable, permanent home is a basic need – a need that too many are still without. And with repossessions on the rise, more Londoners are likely to find themselves in this situation.

“East Thames is committed to working with our partners to tackle homelessness – and to sharing best practice in this field. This conference aims to bring together organisations to share experiences and forge effective partnerships. We hope this will make a real contribution to the ongoing drive to eradicate homelessness in the capital.”

The conference takes place at ExCel, Royal Victoria Docks, London E16 1XL on 11 February 2009 (9.30am-4pm) and costs just £70 +VAT per delegate (or £120+VAT for two people from the same organisation).

To book a place, call 01494 783052, email paul@purplepatchevents.co.uk or go to
www.east-homes.co.uk/homelessnessconference.