Published: Tuesday, 8th October 2024
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has maintained its position as one of the best performing councils in England for preventing and relieving homelessness - for the fifth consecutive year.
This is despite the number of households approaching the authority for homelessness support increasing by over a quarter in a 12-month period.
The latest homelessness figures released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have revealed that over 3,000 households approached Stoke-on-Trent City Council between April 2023 and March 2024 compared to 2,353 in 2022/23.
During that period, the council completed a homeless assessment for 2,052 households and accepted a duty to support them with their homelessness in 99 per cent of cases.
The authority closed just under 2,000 cases, helping four out of five people to either stay in their current home or move to a new home where the threat of homelessness was removed. This was the fourth highest rate of successful outcomes in the country, and the best in the West Midlands.
It also provided advice and signposted all households who needed further assistance to support services which can help.
Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “These figures show, once again, what a fantastic job the council’s Housing Solutions Team and all of our partners are doing to prevent people becoming homeless in the city, and supporting them to find suitable alternative accommodation when they do.
“These last 12 months have seen a big increase in the number of people approaching the service as the impact of cost of living and housing challenges continue to be seen. Despite that, the team and our wide range of partners have risen to the challenge and continue to deliver outcomes that make a real difference to people’s lives.
“Homelessness can have a devastating impact on wellbeing, particularly for families with children, and we will continue to explore how we can better support those that find themselves at risk of losing their homes, including alternatives to bed and breakfast accommodation.”
Councillor Robinson added: “The main reasons people become homeless are through the ending of a private tenancy and family and friends no longer being prepared to provide accommodation. So, it is essential that people contact us as early as possible so we can work with them keep them in their current homes or make a planned move where this is not possible.
“We have a range of services that can help people threatened with homelessness including our Housing Needs Officers who can negotiate with landlords and family members, the Citizens Advice Bureau who can provide advice on debt and tenancy issues and Glow and New Era who can support victims of domestic abuse.”
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has much lower rates of people in temporary accommodation, including families with children, than comparable local authorities despite having a slightly higher number of people in bed and breakfast accommodation.
This afternoon, Cabinet approved a report which outlines its plans for the future of nightly paid accommodation in the city.
The decision, which will improve standards for families who find themselves homeless in Stoke-on-Trent, gives accommodation providers the chance to join a supplier’s bank enabling the council to offer individuals and families alternative temporary accommodation and ending the reliance on local hotels and B&Bs.
Anyone concerned about losing their home can contact Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Housing Solutions Team on 01782 233696 or 01782 234234 outside office hours or visit the website.
Alternatively, support is available via our Community Lounges and Family Hubs.
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