HOUSING LAW NEWS & POLICY ISSUES

Private renting: over 350,000 households in arrears
On 21 April 2021 the MHCLG published findings from Wave 2 of the Household Resilience Study for November to December 2020. In respect of private renting study shows that during the period:

• 9 per cent of private renters (353,000 households) were currently in arrears, up from 3 per cent in 2019-20 but unchanged from June-July 2020 when 7 per cent were in arrears.
• 4 per cent were up to one month behind, 2 per cent were more than one month but less than two months behind, 1 per cent were two months or more behind, while 2 per cent were in arrears but did not declare how far behind they were.
• A further 8 per cent of private renters said they were very or fairly likely to fall behind with rent payments in the next three months, representing approximately 278,000 households.
• Overall 22 per cent of private renters reported finding it more difficult to keep up with rent payments since June-July 2020.The main reasons cited for such difficulties were being furloughed on reduced pay (15 per cent) or working fewer hours/less overtime (14 per cent).

For the full findings, click here.

Social housing: 11 per cent in arrears
Findings from Wave 2 of the Household Resilience Study (see above) show that in November to December 2020:

• 11 per cent of social renters were in arrears. The apparent decrease in the proportion of social renters in arrears, from 13 per cent in June-July 2020 is not statistically significant. Pre-pandemic, 11 per cent of social renters were in arrears.
• 5 per cent were up to one month behind, 1 per cent were one month but less than two months behind and 3 per cent were two months or more behind and 1 per cent were in arrears but did not declare how far behind they were.

For the full findings, click here.

Statutory homelessness in England: October to December 2020
On 22 April 2021 the MHCLG published official statistics on statutory homelessness in England between 1 October and 31 December 2020. During that period:

• 62,250 households were initially assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness and owed a statutory homelessness duty, down 9.2 per cent from October to December 2019.
• 28,270 households were assessed as being threatened with homelessness, and therefore owed a prevention duty, down 18.5 per cent from the same quarter last year and linked to a 49.9 per cent decrease in threatened homelessness due to service of a Section 21 notice to end an assured shorthold tenancy.
• 33,990 households were initially assessed as homeless and therefore owed a relief duty, up 0.5 per cent from the same quarter last year; however, households with children fell 13.8 per cent.
• 9,670 households were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty, down 5.3 per cent from October to December 2019. Households with children fell by 13.6 per cent, reflecting the fall in households with children owed a prevention or relief duty in the most recent two quarters.
• On 31 December 2020 the number of households in temporary accommodation was 95,370, up 8.0 per cent from 88,310 on 31 December 2019. This increase is driven by single adult households, up 45.0 per cent to 28,570, while households with children decreased 4.6 per cent to 59,670.
• These changes can be linked to the government and local authority response to Covid-19 including:
  
• households accommodated under the ‘Everyone In’ campaign, whereby local authorities were asked to provide emergency accommodation to rough sleepers, people who were living in shelters with shared sleeping arrangements, and those at risk of rough sleeping;
• the restriction on private rented sector evictions, and lengthened notice periods for landlords.

For the full statistics, click here. For tables showing the figures, organised by various criteria including by region, click here. For comment by Crisis, click here and for response by Homeless Link, click here.

Rough sleeping: grounds for refusal
On 20 April 2021 the Home Office published guidance on considering refusing or cancelling permission on the grounds of rough sleeping. The guidance explains when an application for permission to stay may be refused, or any permission held may be cancelled on the grounds of rough sleeping in the UK. The guidance does not apply to applicants who have been granted any of the following:

• pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), or applicants eligible for the EUSS;
• indefinite leave;
• leave under a protection route (for example as a refugee or on the grounds of human rights or for humanitarian protection).

For the guidance, click here. For comment by Crisis, click here and for that by Homeless Link, click here. For the response of Giles Peaker on Nearly Legal, click here.

Kent teen left to live in tent during Covid crisis: Ombudsman report
On 23 April 2021 the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman reported that a Kent teenager was left to sofa surf and live in a tent for almost two months by Medway Council during the Covid-19 pandemic after his family was left homeless. The Ombudsman found the council missed at least five opportunities to house the teenager and his mother during the summer of 2020, but instead they were left to sleep rough. When the mother first approached the council, it decided it had no duty to house her and her 16-year-old son under its homelessness obligations. However, it did place the family in temporary accommodation because of its child protection duties.

The family became homeless in the middle of July 2020 when the children's services department asked them to leave their temporary accommodation. In making the family homeless, the council failed to consider government guidance in force during the lockdown, which asked landlords to work with renters who may experience hardship as a result of the pandemic. When they left the temporary accommodation, the family had nowhere to go. The teenager called the council saying he and his mother were sleeping in a tent. The mother continued to contact the council throughout July. She filled in a change of circumstances form at the beginning of August explaining she and her son had been on the streets for a few weeks. There is no record of the council taking any action upon receipt of the form.

At the beginning of September, the mother contacted the council with the help of Shelter to say she and her son had been street homeless since 13 July. The council told the mother it would not provide her with temporary accommodation, and she should find her own private rented accommodation. The mother contacted the Ombudsman on 8 September. The investigator asked the council to make an urgent review of the case. The family were moved to bed and breakfast on 11 September. During the investigation, the council offered them a two-bedroomed property.

The council has agreed to apologise to the teenager and his mother, and pay them £1,500 each to reflect the distress and hardship they were caused. It will also pay the mother an additional £200 to reflect the fact she was not listened to when she reported being street homeless on a number of occasions. The council has also agreed to decide whether the teenager is owed any duty or service under the Children Act and provide that service, and it should also consider if it owes him any duty under the Housing Act. It will also decide whether the mother is owed the full housing duty and issue her with a written decision on her homelessness application.

For the full report, click here and follow the link at the top right hand of the page opened.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations: update on progress
On 22 April 2021 the MHCLG published a document outlining the government’s current position on implementation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations. It describes progress over the last quarter, including:

• In February 2021, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescues Services published its report on the progress of the London Fire Brigade to implement the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 1 report, commissioned by the Home Secretary.
• Having completed all stages in both Houses of Parliament, the Fire Safety Bill is currently in the Consideration of Amendments Stage in Parliament.
• The government has published its response to the Fire Safety Consultation on 17 March 2021.
• Weekly testing of the Fire Broadcast Talkgroup (radio channels) has taken place involving all Fire Control Rooms; so far the testing has shown that it is working effectively. The launch of the Fire Broadcast Talkgroup means that if a fire and rescue service becomes overwhelmed with emergency calls, the affected service can now make an announcement on their control room Airwave Radio and it will be received in every control room across the county simultaneously. In addition, the JESIP (Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles) Talkgroup is now live in all Fire Control which aims to improve information sharing between fire, police and ambulance and the National Fire Chiefs Council has released guidance to support its use.

For the full report, click here.

What is affordable housing? Commons briefing paper
On 19 April 2021 the House of Commons Library published a briefing paper considering how affordable housing is defined in England and looking at key trends in the affordability of different tenure types. It examines the supply of affordable housing and the role of Housing Benefit in enabling households to access and retain affordable housing. For the paper, click here.

UK House Price Index summary: February 2021
On 21 April 2021 the Office for National Statistics published a report that shows changes in average house prices for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in February 2021. UK house prices increased by 8.6 per cent in the year to February 2021, up from 8.0 per cent in January 2021. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK were unchanged between January and February 2021, compared with a decrease of 0.6 per cent during the same period a year earlier (January and February 2020). House price growth was strongest in the North West, where prices increased by 11.9 per cent in the year to February 2021. The lowest annual growth was in London, where prices increased by 4.6 per cent in the year to February 2021. For the report, click here.

Index of Private Housing Rental Prices UK: March 2021
On 21 April 2021 HM Land Registry published the Index of Private Housing Rental Prices (IPHRP). It tracks the prices paid for renting property from private landlords in the UK and shows that:

• Private rental prices paid by tenants in the UK rose by 1.3 per cent in the 12 months to March 2021, down from 1.4 per cent in the 12 months to February 2021.
• Private rental prices grew by 1.3 per cent in England, 1.5 per cent in Wales and 1.0 per cent in Scotland in the 12 months to March 2021.
• The South West was the English region to see the highest annual growth in private rental prices (2.4 per cent), while London saw the lowest (0.5 per cent).

For the full statistics, click here.

A Year Like No Other: Centrepoint report
On 20 April 2021 Centrepoint published a new report – A Year Like No Other – which reflects on the impact of the last year on vulnerable young people, looking at youth unemployment, homelessness, poverty and mental health, and assessing the impact of the government’s policy interventions during the pandemic. The report notes that Centrepoint’s Helpline has seen a rising number of callers who are sleeping rough: 17.7 per cent of those who provided information about their housing situation in 2020/21 were rough sleeping at the time of their call. This is slightly higher than 2019/20 when 15 per cent were rough sleeping.  For the report, click here. For an executive summary, click here.

Making homes safe and secure in Wales: Generation Rent manifesto
On 22 April 2021 Generation Rent published its manifesto for the next Welsh Parliament, which is being elected on Thursday 6 May. Generation Rent is calling on candidates for the Welsh Parliament to commit to supporting:

• An end to ‘no fault’ evictions;
• More powers given to councils to tackle landlords who rent out unsafe homes;
• Tougher penalties for landlords who break the law;
• Enabling renters to claim back rent from negligent landlords;
• Improving Rent Smart Wales to give renters more information about their home.

For more details, click here. For the manifesto itself, click here.

Private Rented Sector Leasing Scheme – Wales
On 21 April 2021 the Welsh Government published a checklist of what landlords need to do to lease their property through their local authority. For the checklist, click here. The Welsh Government also produced a leaflet setting out this information. For the leaflet, click here.

HOUSING LAWS IN THE PIPELINE

Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill
This Government bill would amend the electronic communications code set out in Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003; by doing so, it would address one stated policy barrier: making it easier for telecoms companies to access multi-dwelling buildings (such as blocks of flats) where a tenant has requested a new connection, but the landlord has not responded to requests for access rights. Both Houses have agreed on the text of the bill which now waits for the final stage of Royal Assent when the Bill will become an Act of Parliament. Royal Assent is yet to be scheduled. For the bill, as amended by the Lords, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here. For a briefing, prepared by the House of Commons Library after second reading in the House of Commons, click here.

Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, seeks to amend the Mobile Homes Act 1983. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been yet further postponed to a date to be announced. For the bill as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Fire Safety Bill
This Government bill would make provision about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises; and would confer power to amend that order in future for the purposes of changing the premises to which it applies. The bill completed its final stages in the House of Commons on 7 September 2020. It received its first reading in the House of Lords on 8 September 2020 and its second reading on 1 October 2020. The committee stage was completed on 29 October 2020. The report stage took place on 17 November 2020. The third reading took place on 24 November 2020. The House of Lords returned the Bill to the House of Commons with amendments. The House of Commons considered the Lords Amendments on the floor of the House on 24 February 2021. The House of Lords considered the Commons amendments to the Bill on 17 March 2021. Consideration of a Commons amendment to the Bill took place in the House of Lords on 20 April. The Bill was returned to the Commons for consideration of Lords amendments which was due to take place on 27 April 2021. For the bill, as amended on report, click here. To read debates on all stages of the bill, click here. For a briefing paper, published by the House of Commons Library on 19 March 2021, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Housing and Homelessness (Local Accommodation Duty) Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Karen Buck, would place a duty on local authorities to ensure that persons for whom a homeless duty has been accepted are accommodated in the local area, including on discharge into private rented accommodation; and would require local authorities to publish annual reports on steps relating to housing demand and supply taken or intended to be taken to meet that duty. The bill had its first reading on 8 March 2021 and is due to have a second reading on a date to be announced. The bill is being prepared for publication. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Supported Accommodation Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Steve McCabe, would require developers to disclose for planning purposes an intention to use a building for supported housing or other accommodation that is specified for the purposes of Universal Credit and Housing Benefit; establish a suitability test for accommodation proposed for such use; and make provision about the fitness of persons to be landlords or managers of supported or other specified accommodation. The bill had its first reading on 18 November 2020 and is due to have its second reading on a date to be announced. The bill is being prepared for publication. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Supported Housing (Regulation) Bill
This private member's bill, sponsored by Kerry McCarthy, would regulate supported housing; make provision about local authority oversight and the enforcement of standards of accommodation and support in supported housing; and prohibit the placing of children in care in unregulated accommodation. It received its first reading on 11 November 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. The bill is being prepared for publication. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Domestic Properties (Minimum Energy Performance) Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Sir David Amess, would require the Secretary of State to ensure that domestic properties have a minimum energy performance rating of C on an Energy Performance Certificate; to give the Secretary of State powers to require persons to take action in pursuance of that duty. The first reading was on 14 July 2020 and the second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. The bill is being prepared for publication. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Sublet Property (Offences) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would make the breach of certain rules relating to sub-letting rented accommodation a criminal offence and would make provision for criminal sanctions in respect of unauthorised sub-letting. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been yet further postponed to a date to be announced. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Mobile Homes and Park Homes Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would require the use of published criteria to determine whether mobile homes and park homes are liable for council tax or non-domestic rates; make provision in relation to the residential status of such homes; and amend the Mobile Home Acts. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been yet further postponed to a date to be announced. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Houses in Multiple Occupation Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Ian Levy, would amend the law relating to the licensing of houses in multiple occupation and increase penalties for the contravention of such licences. The bill received its first reading on 9 September 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. The bill is being prepared for publication. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Homeless People (Current Accounts) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Peter Bone, would require banks to provide current accounts for homeless people seeking work. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Caravan Sites Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, would amend the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 to remove planning permission requirements for caravan site licence applicants. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. For the bill as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Asylum Seekers (Accommodation Eviction Procedures) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Chris Stephens, would make provision for asylum seekers to challenge the proportionality of a proposed eviction from accommodation before an independent court or tribunal and would establish asylum seeker accommodation eviction procedures for public authorities. The first reading was on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been postponed to a date to be announced. The bill is being prepared for publication. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Vagrancy (Repeal) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Layla Moran, would repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 18 March 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. For the bill as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Domestic Premises (Energy Performance) Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Lord Foster of Bath, would require the Secretary of State to ensure that domestic properties have a minimum energy performance rating of C on an Energy Performance Certificate; to make provision regarding performance and insulation of new heating systems in existing properties. The first reading was on 8 January 2020 and the second reading on 7 February 2020. The committee stage will commence on a date to be appointed. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Rented Homes Bill
This private member’s bill, sponsored by Baroness Grender, would amend the Housing Act 1988 to abolish assured shorthold tenancies; and to extend the grounds upon which landlords of residential housing may recover possession. First reading took place on 22 January 2020. The second reading will be on a date to be announced. For the bill, as introduced, click here. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Evictions (Universal Credit Claimants) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Chris Stephens, seeks to place a duty on the Secretary of State to prevent the evictions of Universal Credit claimants in rent arrears. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

Housing Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill
This private members’ bill, sponsored by Sir Christopher Chope, seeks to amend Part 3 of the Housing Act 2004 to provide that any selective licensing scheme for residential accommodation extends to social housing. The bill is being prepared for publication. It received its first reading on 10 February 2020. The second reading has been further postponed to a date to be announced. To follow progress of the bill, click here.

NEW HOUSING CASES

Allen v London Borough of Ealing [2021] EWHC 948 (Admin)

Background
This was an appeal heard by Lord Justice Popplewell and Mr Justice Cavanagh, concerned with the private prosecution brought by the Appellant against the Respondent in relation to an alleged statutory nuisance of mice infestation.

The Applicant’s solicitor had sent a written notice by recorded delivery to the Respondent Council on 9th August 2019, which was more than the required 21 days before the prosecution commenced. The letter was addressed to the Respondent as a corporate body, rather than to a secretary or clerk identified in s.160(3) and (4) of the EPA, or the Housing Litigation Team.
Therefore, the district judge found that the service of the notice had been ineffective and the court had no jurisdiction to issue the summons, or consider the Applicant’s complaint. The district judge raised a case under s.111 Magistrates’ Court Act 1980 containing the following questions:

i)          Was I correct to find that a Notice under section 82(6) EPA must, by section 160(3), be served on or given to the Clerk or Secretary of a Body Corporate or any identifiable person or Department of the Body Corporate, (given the 21 day time limit to respond to such a Notice)?

ii)          Was I correct to find that proper Service of a Notice was not proved (and the Complaint/Summons must be dismissed) in circumstances where, notwithstanding the provisions of section 160(3) of the Act, the prosecutor contends that s/he can prove actual/physical receipt of the Notice at the Body Corporate's proper address?

Facts
The Applicant was a secure tenant of a flat owned by the Respondent. The letter containing allegations of a breach of s.79(1)(a) was sent to the Respondent’s address on 9th August 2019. The letter was signed with the name ‘Mark’. However, the Housing Litigation Team averred that they did not receive the letter. Therefore, the Respondent did not respond to the notice or take action within the 21-day period specified under s.82(7)(b).

On 26th September 2019, the Applicant’s solicitor wrote to Willesden Magistrates’ Court requesting a summons for a breach of s.79(1)(a), enclosing a copy of the notice. This was issued by the court on 14th October 2019 and served on the Respondent. The address was the same address as in the original notice and signed by ‘Mark’ using the same signature. This letter was received by Mr Mark Lowes, a Voids and Disrepair Manager, who stated he first became aware of the matter at this time. However, Popplewell LJ confirmed this was not determinative of the issues in the present case, which related to the original letter containing the notice. 

Submissions
On behalf of the Applicant, Mr Locke submitted that s.160 is permissive, not mandatory, as it contains the word ‘may’. A complainant may serve notice upon such person but is not required to do so. If notice is received by a person on behalf of a corporate body, there will be good service for the purposes of s.82(6). Mr Locke averred that the Applicant had done all that she was required to do by s.82(6) and effected postal service in accordance with s.160(2).

On behalf of the Respondent, Mr McDermott emphasised the importance of ensuring a recipient of a s.82 notice is provided with adequate opportunity to act upon it. The statutory regime provides a short period of time to deal with nuisance and avert liability and costs, and it is simply not good enough to address a large corporate body at its registered or principal office. Further, as s.82 gives rise to a risk of criminal responsibility, the requirements relating to service should be applied strictly. Mr McDermott continued that a purposive interpretation of s.160 and the normal rules of attrition require notice must be served or given, or if posted, then addressed to the secretary or clerk or to a person in authority.

Judgment
The Court found that s.160 was permissive and not mandatory. Secondly, if the word ‘may’ were to be given a mandatory meaning in s.160(2), then it would also be required in s.160(3). If the word ‘may’ in s.160(3) were to be given a mandatory meaning then this would mean when an intended defendant was a corporate body, the requirements of notice could be satisfied only by serving the notice on the secretary or clerk of that body. In many corporate bodies, there is no employee with either of those titles.

The language of s.160(4)(a) suggests that s.160(3) is permissive, this section defines the proper address as follows: "(a) in the case of a body corporate or their secretary or clerk, it shall be the address of the registered or principal office of that body" (emphasis added). The purpose of the notice regime is to provide the notice to a person who can reasonably be expected act upon it. Statutory nuisances giving rise to s.82(6) notices often fall to be served by lay people who are unfamiliar with the legal process. Therefore, the system should be operable by people who may be neither very sophisticated, nor very articulate. The permissive interpretation gives coherence and purpose to s.160, it is for the benefit of the server not the recipient.

For the reasons set out within the discussion, Lord Justice Popplewell and Mr Justice Cavanagh found the following:

i)          The district judge should have not have found that a notice under s.82(6) EPA must, by section 160(3) of the Act, be served on or given to the clerk or secretary of a body corporate or any identifiable person or department of the body corporate. The requirements of s.160(2) and s.160(3) are permissive, not mandatory.

ii)          The district judge should have found that valid service had been effected when, having been sent by post, the notice was signed for by "Mark" at the Respondent's principal address. In light of the undisputed evidence, the district judge should have found that the person who accepted and signed for the notice had actual authority to accept service on behalf of the Respondent.

Summary by Abigail Cheetham, pupil barrister, Trinity Chambers. For the judgment, click here

HOUSING LAW CONSULTATIONS

Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 Draft Regulations
The Welsh Government is consulting on:

• draft model written statements regulations, including the design, structure and order of the model written statements
• draft explanatory information regulations for written statements.

The consultation ends on 16 June 2021. For the consultation document, click here. For the draft regulations, click here.

HOUSING LAW ARTICLES & PUBLICATIONS

What can we expect from proposed judicial review reform? John Litton QC Landmark Chambers 20 April 2021 – to read the article, click here

Cold homes kill people – and the planet. It’s time for an upgrade David Orr Centre for Ageing Better Blog 21 April 2021 – to read the article, click here

Government’s race commission largely ignores housing issues Gavin Smart CIH Blog 21 April 2021 – to read the article, click here

Tower blocks, re-cladding and service charges Timothy Straker QC, Jonathan Manning and Christopher Baker Local Government Lawyer 23 April 2021 – to read the article, click here

Mixed nuts – assorted notes Giles Peaker Nearly Legal 23 April 2021 – to read the article, click here

Owner-occupiers: review 2021 (May 21) Dave Cowan Legal Action May 2021 – to read the article (subscription required), click here

Housing: recent developments (April 21) Jan Luba QC and Sam Madge-Wyld Legal Action April 2021 – to read the article (subscription required), click here

HOUSING LAW DIARY

4 May 2021                                          
Magistrates’ Courts (Amendment) Rules come into force (see Housing Law News and Policy Issues)

Advertise your vacancy to Housing Law Week Readers

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RECRUITMENT

Featured Job of the Week

Housing Options Team Manager
Great Yarmouth Borough Council

Band: 8
Salary: £34,728 - £38,890pa
Permanent – Full-time
Applicants wanting to work part time will also be considered.
Post no: 001409

Are you experienced in the field of Housing Options and Homelessness services and looking to take the next step into management or are already a manager in this field looking to change location? If you are this job could be for you.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is looking for a Team manager in their Housing Options service to provide an effective and high-quality customer focused Housing Options Service.

Being responsible for the day to day management of a team, ensuring that the delivery of housing advice, homelessness, temporary accommodation and housing waiting list services. You will be guiding staff to provide effective solutions and outcomes for applicants.

If you have the ability to lead and inspire others to contribute towards achieving organisational success through team building and collaborative working, as well demonstrating an understanding of the emotional and physical impact of homelessness, we will welcome your application.

This is an exciting time to join the team with the introduction of new County led Single Homeless Prevention Service, new IT databases and policies this year and a strong focus on service transformation. As a Team Manger you will be an instrumental part of implementing these over the next 12 months, as well as supporting many other new initiatives such as the Great Yarmouth Homeless Alliance, the Councils commitment to the No Homeless in Norfolk Strategy and the Borough’s Rough Sleeping initiatives.

When completing your application please show us how you meet the Job Description and Person Specification in the any other information section.

If you wish to have an informal discussion before applying for the role, please contact Tanya Rayner on 01493 846268 or Nicola Turner on 01493 846516.

Please note we do not accept CVs.

Closing date: 10th May 2021 at 10am
Interviews dates: Friday, 14th & Monday, 17th May 2021

Click here and scroll for more details

Swindon Borough Council
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Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
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Sheffield City Council
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Golden Lane Housing
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Hightown Housing Association
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Hightown Housing Association
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Brighton and Hove City Council
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Hillingdon Council
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