Industry News
Allocations made for 3,300 homes for rough sleepers
The Government has allocated more than £150m to pay for more than 3,000 permanent homes aimed specifically at getting rough sleepers off the streets and provided with specialist support. In all some 276 schemes have been
aapproved across England, including 38 in London. These should deliver 3,300 new homes by the end of March 2021, with further allocations expected to bring the total number of new homes for rough sleepers up to 6,000 by the end of this parliament.
This is the latest step in the Government’s aim to end rough sleeping by 2024. Those moving into the new housing will also be supported by specialist staff to access support for mental health or substance misuse.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said:
“Our Everyone In plan is widely considered the most effective action taken by any country in the world to protect those sleeping rough from the pandemic. “And that work hasn’t stopped – 29,000
rough sleepers and other vulnerable people have been supported into safe accommodation since the start of COVID-19. “The next step in our mission is to
ensure they have a more settled home, which is why we are providing over £150m as part of the biggest ever investment in homes for the homeless, to deliver over 3,000 new long-term homes across England, giving them the stability and security they need to start to rebuild their lives.” However, some charities and campaign
groups are warning that further support will be necessary to avoid a homelessness crisis over the winter due to the economy shedding thousands of jobs. At the same time, night shelters may be forced to close or drastically reduce the numbers housed due to social distancing restrictions.
Professionals welcome the regulation of short term lets in Scotland
“We are pleased that short term let hosts will now have to
meet the same safety standards as private landlords.” Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at CIH Scotland
short-term lettings north of the border. The Scottish Government has set out plans for
T
the regulation of short term lets including a nationwide licencing scheme and discretionary powers for local authorities to apply for control areas to be designated in specific locations if they think that further restrictions might be required. Where a control area is designated, planning
permission would be required for a residential property to be converted into a short term let. The consultation includes details of licencing
requirements that all short term lets would have to meet, including extending the Repairing Standard which currently applies to the private rented sector. The Repairing Standard covers the property condition and health and safety elements such as fire, gas and electrical safety and carbon monoxide detection. Local authorities will also be able to add
licencing conditions at their discretion and tailored to local conditions. For example, they may wish to include additional rules around noise or anti- social behaviour.
20 | HMM December/January 2021 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
he Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland has strongly welcomed proposals to toughen the regulation and control of
Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at
CIH Scotland said: “We welcome the introduction of regulations for short term lets in Scotland. While we recognise that this type of accommodation is popular with tourists, can provide flexible income for hosts and support local economies, we also need to acknowledge the negative impact that short term lets can have on some communities. “Where large numbers of homes are
being converted into holiday accommodation, local residents have less choice over where they can live and may see costs pushed up. Many people have also experienced noise nuisance from parties and may feel insecure with strangers coming in and out of shared stairways. “The current lack of regulation or accountability
means that guests and neighbours can be put at risk if homes are not being maintained or do not have adequate fire safety measures in place and this is unacceptable. “We are pleased that short term let hosts will
now have to meet the same safety standards as private landlords. These regulations are a step in the right direction but will only be effective if they are effectively communicated, understood and enforced.”
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