Southwark Council ENHANCED HOUSING OPTIONS

1
Southwark Council ENHANCED HOUSING OPTIONS

• Carol Smith
• Housing Options Services
• March 2009

2
Southwark

• Population 120,000 households
• 37 BME (census 2001) 68 BME pupils 2007
• Income almost 17 claiming benefits
• House prices 324,800 rent 1,650 pm
• Worklessness up to 67,000 not in paid work
• 47 social housing 35 council
• Over 15,300 on housing list

3
Our service

• Homesearch Centre changing our approach
• 500 Housing Options interviews per month
• 7,000 calls per month to our advice line
• Range of initiatives and support services

4
Our service

• Housing List registration
• Lettings (CBL)
• Private Tenancies Team including tenancy
  relations
• Initiatives Team RDS, Overcrowding,
  Under-Occupation, rent arrears support
• Partnership working with referrals to support
  agencies Sustain, Swark Reach, Hexagon,
  Seasons, SWorks

5
Enhancing housing options

• Increase our employment and training
  interventions in partnership with Southwark Works
  
• Updating CV, job searches, help with
  applications, education and training
  opportunities, interview techniques, how work
  affects benefits, advice on career changes
• Linking with jobs created through regeneration of
  elephant and castle

6
Outreach Service

• Range of planned events including community based
  options clinics
• housing advice and referrals for employment,
  assistance with debt, credit union and support
  agencies
• Referrals for housing options appointments

7
Outreach calendar

• Range of weekly and monthly events with partner
  agencies
• Young peoples events Challenging Myths linking
  with Youth Services focusing on prevention
• Housing and financial wellbeing events debt, LHA
  and welfare benefits advice employment, health
  and housing
• South American Community events at Elephant
  Castle focusing on holistic approach

8
Outreach service

• Next year evening and weekend events targeting
  tenants for low cost home ownership in
  partnership with Tower Homes and Councils
  Homeownership Unit
• Also targeting and prioritising junior household
  members from overcrowded tenancies
• Overcrowding and under-occupation events
  promoting private initiatives and mutual exchange
  service

9
Enhancing our CBL website

• Working with Abritas our bid partner and CBL IT
  provider to enhance website
• Housing Options Wizard to reinforce our housing
  options approach
• Publicise outreach events
• Promote employment and training service
• Debt advice and Credit Union
• Support agencies
• Rent arrears advice for private tenants

10
Audrey

• I would have really appreciated
• the opportunity to receive career
• advice when I first approached
• Housing. At that time I felt very
• low and lacking in hope for the
• future. I hope you can develop
• the service so that others may
• get the chance to get this kind
• of support when they really
• need it.

11
(No Transcript)