HC Deb 11 April 1983 vol 40 cc323-4W
Mr. Charles Irving

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the report on rehoused hostel residents to be published; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Stanley

My Department is today publishing a report "A Home of Their Own. A Survey of Rehoused Hostel Residents", which contains the results of the Department's research into the rehousing of former hostel residents in the areas of four local authorities—the Greater London Council, Lewisham, Manchester and Liverpool.

The report provides encouraging indications that there are many hostel residents who can successfully be rehoused in self-contained accommodation where they can live independently. Research sponsored by the Department indicates that the majority of single homeless people want independent accommodation, and that where such accommodation was provided almost two-thirds were still living independently at least a year after being rehoused. This strengthens the case for work being done by a number of voluntary bodies like the Salvation Army Housing Association who are starting to rehouse long-term hostel residents into independent accommodation.

One of the report's findings is that some of those being rehoused from hostels will need accommodation in which some support can be given before they make the transition to fully independent accommodation. To encourage the provision of this type of accommodation, known as hostel move-on accommodation, I have recently introduced a new management allowance for housing associations to reflect the cost of providing a non-resident warden back-up support for those starting to live independently in hostel move-on accomodation. This represents an important further development of the Government's hostels initiative.

Copies of the report have been placed in the Library. Copies are also being sent to all local authorities who have in their areas significant numbers of hostel dwellers, to those housing associations most closely involved with hostels and the rehousing of single homeless people, to the chairman of the board of social responsibility of the Anglican Church and to the General Secretary of the social welfare commission of the Roman Catholic bishops of England and Wales.

I welcome this valuable report which I hope will be widely read, considered and acted upon.