{"id":2544,"date":"2019-09-18T07:54:52","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T06:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/?p=2544"},"modified":"2019-09-18T16:37:51","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T15:37:51","slug":"hub-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/?p=2544","title":{"rendered":"Hub of hope"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Glasgow City Council’s s Private Rented Sector Hub is a unique service to help families in the city\u2019s private rented sector housing and aims to prevent homelessness and tackle child poverty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team at\nGlasgow City Council\u2019s Private Rented Sector Support Hub – unique in Scotland –\nare part of the council\u2019s wider housing team, and have the ultimate aim of\npreventing homelessness.  Their priority is to put people and their\nfamilies on a stronger, more supported footing where they are able to\nself-manage and move out of poverty or crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Private Rented Sector Support Hub provides the focus for a holistic and multi-agency support service, clustered around the importance of an affordable and decent quality home.  The hub is being developed with partner organisations to support tenants, particularly families with children, residing in the private rented sector, many of whom are living in poverty which is exacerbated by the welfare reforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hub has main areas of work where it has achieved successful outcomes (preventing homelessness; improving people\u2019s financial position; helping with mental health and wellbeing issues; and improving the safety and quality of accommodation) for people living in private sector rent housing.  This list is not exhaustive as they will strive to identify services in the city to support vulnerable families living in the PRS.  These will be added to the database going forward to ensure the full \u2018customer journey\u2019 can be tracked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nteam has a 100% engagement rate with the families, many of whom are at\nsignificant risk of homelessness, and clearly it is critical that support is offered to avoid this scenario\nif at all possible.  The team has a pro-active approach, one that has\nproven to be successful in working with previously hard to reach households\n(the PRS Hub team are often the first officers of any agency that the families\nhave dealt with) are willing to engage with support and services, and that the\nconsiderable poverty being experienced by these families can be\nalleviated.  Around 250 families have been helped so far by the PRS Support Hub team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nis an officer-led service, with referrals coming from across the council and a\nvariety of other agencies (DWP, housing and homelessness organisations, health\nvisitors, etc).  As\nwell as looking at the tenants financial situation, they also look at housing\nand personal needs, to ensure families are enabled to either sustain their\ncurrent private rented tenancy, or are offered advice enabling them to pursue\nother re-housing options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nmakes the PRS hub so successful is the robust case management approach\nundertaken by the team. Their one-to-one engagement and follow-up is what keeps\nthese people on the pathway out of poverty, rather than just onward referrals\nand then falling \u2018off the radar\u2019 if they don\u2019t make appointments or contact\nother organisations. Housing is at the heart of the matter but what the team\ndoes is much more encompassing \u2013 benefits entitlement, employability, child\ncare, necessities, etc.  Some of the families contact the team again (once\nthey had closed their case) as they face other\nchallenges\nand are looking for support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another\nunique feature of the team is their inspection of the condition on properties to ensure that landlords meet their\nobligations in respect of the required repairing standard which includes\nadequate smoke alarms, heat detection and Carbon Monoxide (CO) monitors and any\nother repair issues\/concerns raised by the tenant. They also ensure that the\nlandlord\u2019s registration is up to date and accurate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nactions of the team \u2013 also known as the \u2018Housing & Welfare\u2019 team to show\nthat the focus is on people as much as property \u2013 have made \u00a33.6million in\n\u2018preventative\u2019 costs to the council\u2019s Homelessness services, ie the costs that\nwould have been incurred had the families we have supported gone on to present\nto HSCP as Homeless. A key point with regard to the \u00a33.6million figure is that families have\nthemselves been saved great emotional and financial stress from avoiding\nhomelessness, have had tenancies secured and have been \/ are being supported out\nof crisis so that they can begin to rebuild their lives. In addition, the\ncouncil has saved the above amount which it would otherwise have incurred if\nthis team hadn\u2019t intervened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nmajority of the families supported are already in crisis when they meet the\nteam and as such, prior to our intervention, they assumed this would be their\nonly option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An increasing\nnumber of families are transitioning to Universal Credit, with the PRS Hub team\nnow working \u201creactively\u201d when this crisis arises to prevent escalation by\nlandlords due to delay in rent payments caused by assessment period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landlords are\nengaging with the team, and welcome support to enable tenancy sustainment (see\ncase study below).  Negotiations with landlords and agents have been\nsuccessful, with one recent case having their deposit timescale delayed to\naccommodate support from DHP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Councillor\nKenny McLean, City Convener for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Public Realm, said:\n\u201cOur PRS Hub provide a unique and invaluable service to families in private\nrented accommodation, many of whom are facing financial difficulties through no\nfault of their own.  While their priority is preventing these families\nfrom becoming homeless, the team also gives much more support in order to\nensure that people are settled in their homes and can look to the future with\nmuch more confidence.  Their pro-active approach, and a strong working\nrelationship with partner agencies, is a model that other local authorities are\nlooking at closely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case\nstudy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Benefit Cap\ncase at high risk of homelessness due to accruing rent arrears. The council\u2019s\nPRS Hub team arranged a visit to the property immediately to offer\nsupport.  The tenant and her four children have lived in their PRS tenancy\nfor the last five years and her children attend the local schools and nursery.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The property\nhas three bedrooms and the rent is \u00a3500pcm. The tenant is affected by the\nbenefit cap and has a shortfall in her housing benefit of \u00a345 per week. She\nreceives Income Support, Child Tax Credits and Child Benefit. To date she has\nmanaged to avoid rent arrears by borrowing money from a friend to make the rent\npayments and her friend has been very supportive.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her landlord\nhas not yet threatened any action but is pressurising her to pay the rent. She\nfinds this very stressful as he calls her constantly to remind her that that\nthe rent payment is due and visits her home to collect the payments. He has\nalso advised that he intends increasing the rent for the property to \u00a3600pcm\nand the tenant is worried about losing her home as she cannot afford to stay\nthere.  Landlord has also threatened to sell the property and told her he\nwas soon going to serve a notice to ask her to leave. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time\nof our visit, the tenant had no gas supply as she had no money to put in her meter.\nHer friend was on her way to visit and would bring a power card to help her\nover the next few days until she gets her next benefit payment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We carried\nout a full property inspection and found no adequate smoke\/CO detection in\nplace as well as a list of other outstanding minor repairs.  The tenant\nhas no major outstanding debt but has contracts for a TV package and mobile\nphone which she cannot reduce at the moment. Her mobile phone is essential to\nensure that she can keep in contact with family members and friends who live\nsome distance away. She is also tied into her TV package for the next six\nmonths. She also repays a DWP budgeting loan weekly which she borrowed to buy\ntoys for her children last Christmas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tenant\nregularly uses the local foodbank as she is often left with very little money\nfor food at the end of each week. She has a history of poor mental health and\nis medicated by her GP for this. Tenant feels that her financial situation is\nexacerbating her condition. She often feels she cannot cope with the ongoing\nchallenges she faces.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We helped\ntenant apply for DHP and this was awarded to cover her full benefit cap\nshortfall for the next six months. This immediately helped her financially\nallowing her to meet her full rent payment.  The tenant was referred\nimmediately to Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and temporary smoke detection\nwas installed immediately.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We met with\nthe tenant again to discuss both an imminent solution for the family to avoid\nhomelessness and put in place a longer term plan to ensure she can sustain her\ntenancy or find cheaper, more affordable accommodation.  We made contact\nwith her landlord and found that there were issues with late rent payments,\ninternal repairs needed as a result of tenant damage and allegations that the\ntenant was refusing to engage with him. Landlord advised that he did intend to\nincrease the rent as he has not done so for the last few years but agreed that\nthis would be only a small increase at this stage. We asked the landlord if he\nwould be willing to delay the sale of his property if the tenant agrees to make\nregular rent payments and we support her to sustain her tenancy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After much\ndiscussion with the landlord and tenant the necessary repairs and new smoke and\nCO detection were completed. We also helped the tenant apply for help from the\nScottish Welfare Fund.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landlord has\nretracted his intention to sell the property and the tenant is delighted that\nshe has avoided losing her settled accommodation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our WRO has\nsince visited the tenant and is supporting her make benefit applications. She\nalso applied for Early Learning Payment (Best Start Grant) and has since been\ngranted \u00a3250. We also made applications to various charities for help with\nfurniture, clothing and toys for the family to meet their immediate needs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our support\nis ongoing and the tenant will be supported to make housing applications to\nvarious RSL\u2019s in the city to find more affordable accommodation.  She has\nalso asked that we support her to look at her longer term options in relation\nto employability.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Glasgow City Council’s s Private Rented Sector Hub is a unique service to help families in the city\u2019s private rented sector housing and aims to prevent homelessness and tackle child […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[25,26],"class_list":["post-2544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-25","tag-private-renting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2544"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2611,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2544\/revisions\/2611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scottishhousingday.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}