Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Thames Reach has welcomed Lambeth Council’s new homelessness and rough sleeping strategy, praising its commitment to prioritising support for rough sleepers
The council and Thames Reach collaborate to offer outreach services to the borough’s homeless population on a regular basis.
In light of its financial difficulties, Thames Reach Area Director Isobel McKenna praised the borough’s dedication to lowering the number of people sleeping on the streets.
She said:
“As a provider of support services to many boroughs in London and the surrounding counties, Thames Reach is painfully aware of the financial pressure councils have been under in recent years.
We are very grateful that in Lambeth, this pressure has had minimal impact on the services we provide and the outcomes we have achieved together through partnership work and a collaborative approach to commissioning.
We welcome the latest homelessness strategy as it recommends addressing rough sleeping in Lambeth through the provision of well-resourced, innovative services, and a shared vision for the next 5 years.”
The council has worked hard to reduce the prevalence and impact of rough sleeping, collaborating effectively with the voluntary sector to provide real solutions.
This strategy builds on that work and Lambeth’s partnership approach sets a strong example for others to follow.
Lambeth has preserved numerous services to assist rough sleepers and is still spending about £5 million a year on various forms of support, even though the council’s budget has been drastically reduced.
After a lengthy public engagement, the council’s Cabinet on Monday approved Lambeth’s plan to address homelessness and rough sleeping.
Every five years, the council, as a local housing authority, must conduct an assessment of homelessness and publish a homelessness strategy based on the findings.
The number of households residing in temporary accommodation (TA) has increased, which is the most notable shift since Lambeth’s previous homelessness study.
In order to keep rough sleeping uncommon, short-lived, and non-recurring, the strategy sought to prevent homelessness through early intervention and collaborating with partners to offer quick support to individuals living on the streets, according to Councillor Danny Adilypour, Deputy Leader of Lambeth Council and Cabinet Member for Housing, Investment, and New Homes.
He added:
“With 34,000 households on the Lambeth housing register, and over 4,800 in temporary accommodation, but only about 700 council and housing association tenancies available each year, we face an increasingly challenging task against a backdrop of severely constrained financial resources.
The cost of housing families this year has gone up to £100 million – £30 million more than what was available meaning further challenging decisions and difficult savings will be necessary to maintain financial stability, so that we can continue to provide the vital services Lambeth’s most vulnerable residents rely on.”
The borough’s future services are at risk due to the extraordinary demand for emergency housing, which is predicted to continue to be a pricey and in-demand sector due to escalating housing costs that exceed salaries and insufficient housing benefit levels.
According to Lambeth’s new homelessness plan, it is unsustainable for a limited number of local regions to bear the brunt of this enormous demand. It demands a nationwide crisis resolution that uplifts families and establishes councils as long-term entities.
Cllr Adilypour said that, despite the grave financial situation, the council remains committed to improving homelessness services where possible.
“Lambeth will continue to call for improved government funding to support efforts to tackle homelessness and ensure fair housing access for all residents within and outside the borough,”
he added.
Nearly a third of those who answered to the recent public consultation, which received over 300 replies, are presently living in temporary housing, and this dedication is reflected in the strategy.
By expanding the number of long-term, secure housing options available for people to move to, both inside and outside the borough, the council hopes to decrease or eliminate the amount of time people spend in temporary accommodation. This plan tackles the financial strains associated with temporary housing.
Lambeth will keep working with other landlords to increase the supply of high-quality housing in other tenure types, such as the private leased and registered provider sectors, since only a tiny percentage of applicants for council housing are qualified.
To bring about significant change for locals, the council will now start putting the plan into practice through a new Homelessness Forum in collaboration with members from the volunteer community sectors (VCS) and the health sector.
Lambeth has announced additional plans to repurpose vacant properties throughout the borough in addition to speeding up the additional properties Programme, which aims to provide more than 500 new affordable homes by 2030.
The action is intended to help meet the increasing demand for housing and guarantee that the stock of available housing is being utilized to its maximum capacity. A nationwide unoccupied houses policy has also been called for in a letter from Cllr. Adilypour to the government’s housing minister.
Lambeth answered the government’s survey this month regarding funding arrangements for the Homelessness Prevention Grant starting in 2026–2027.
In order for the council to meet the urgent need for temporary housing brought on by the housing crisis, the Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG) is an essential source of finance.
Lambeth Council is actively urging the government to reevaluate proposed modifications to the Homelessness preventative Grant (HPG), which may divert funds from preventative initiatives that are focused locally and jeopardize the government’s own national homelessness goals.
What are the objectives by Lambeth’s homelessness strategy?
The strategy’s objectives are to prevent homelessness, lessen rough sleeping, and improve assistance for individuals who are homeless.
In order to lessen inequality and advance equity and justice in Lambeth, it places a strong emphasis on early intervention, collaboration, and enhancing access to permanent housing.
The exorbitant cost of temporary housing, which has increased to £90 million a year, puts a heavy financial strain on Lambeth.
Housing-related disadvantage affects a large percentage of households in the ethnically diverse and densely populated borough.
Residents’ opinions were gathered during a public consultation to construct the strategy, guaranteeing that the plan reflects community priorities.
The plan has been well received by homeless charities, which see its emphasis on prevention and teamwork as essential to successfully combating homelessness.