Housing & HomelessnessA Brief Overview

Sources of Law - Housing• Housing Act 1996: This forms the substantive part of current legislation and

contains eight sections:

• Part 1 – Social Rented Sector• Part 2 – Houses in Multiple Occupation• Part 3 – Landlord and Tenant• Part 4 – Housing Benefit• Part 5 – Conduct of Tenants• Part 6 – Allocation of Housing Property• Part 7 - Homelessness• Part 8 – Miscellaneous & General Provisions

Sources of Law - Homelessness• The Homelessness Act 2002 introduced a

number of amendments to the 1996 Act

• Case Law – Decisions made by Courts and the House of Lords impact on how the law is interpreted and implemented

• Homelessness Code of Guidance to Local Authorities ( July 2006 )

What is Homelessness?

Homelessness – What Does it Mean?

• Homelessness means not having a home.

• A lot of people who are homeless don’t sleep on the streets

• Even if you have a roof over your head you can still be homeless

Homelessness – Legal Definition

• A person is homeless if:

• There is no accommodation that they are entitled to occupy; or

• They have accommodation but it is not reasonable for them to continue to occupy this accommodation

What Situations Might Mean You are Homeless?

• Temporarily staying with friends or family• Staying in a Hostel or B&B accommodation• Living in very overcrowded conditions• At risk of violence or abuse in your current home• Living in poor conditions that affect your health• Living in a place where you have no legal right to stay• Living somewhere that you can’t afford to pay for without

depriving yourself of basic essentials• Being forced to live apart from your family because your

accommodation is not suitable

Who is Affected by Homelessness?• Homelessness affects a wide variety of people. Some groups of

people are more vulnerable because they have fewer rights, complex needs or are less able to cope by themselves;

• Young people leaving home for the first time• Old people• People with physical or mental health problems• People with learning disabilities• People on low benefits or incomes• People leaving care• People leaving prison• Asylum seekers and refugees• People who have a substance misuse issue

How Do People Become Homeless?

• Being evicted by a landlord

• Losing employment

• Health problems

• Relationship breakdown

• Disasters such as flooding or fires

Homelessness Facts• The 2009 annual estimate found that there were 464 people

sleeping rough in England on any single night.

• 85,000 households were officially recognised as newly homeless by their local authority in England in 2008.

• 74,690 households in temporary accommodation (up to June 2008) • 72% of acceptances are people with dependents or pregnant

women • The main reason for a person or household becoming homeless is

that relatives or friends are no longer able to accommodate them

(35%)

Any Questions ?