§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact prolonged stays in temporary accommodation have on homeless households' ability to access employment opportunities. [178737]
§ Yvette CooperThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made no assessment of the impact of temporary accommodation on the employment prospects of homeless households. However we are aware of the potentially negative impact that prolonged stays in temporary accommodation can have on homeless households employment prospects and also on their health, well being and children's education.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be commissioning a representative survey of homeless families this autumn. This survey will identify both 1148W the prevalence of Unemployment among families in temporary accommodation, and barriers to entering employment.
§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will bring the rent liability for statutorily homeless households placed in temporary accommodation into line with the average rent for social housing in that local authority area. [178739]
§ Yvette CooperThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to change rent liabilities for statutorily homeless households in temporary accommodation. However, along with the Department for Work and Pensions we are currently discussing possible alternative funding mechanisms for temporary accommodation with the Association of London Government, Greater London Authority and others.
§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the London borough of Brent's decision to use some of its dedicated Homelessness Strategy funding to provide enhanced financial incentives to under-occupying tenants moving from family-sized housing to smaller accommodation. [178689]
§ Yvette CooperHomelessness grants from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are intended to supplement core funding received in part from Revenue Support Grant and are no longer ring-fenced. Local authorities have discretion as to how they spend the grant, provided that they deliver key outcomes on homelessness. We are aware that the London borough of Brent has been offering financial incentives to under-occupying tenants moving from family sized social housing to smaller accommodation. This type of incentive can be effective in allowing households to move to smaller and more manageable accommodation. It also releases to the authority larger family accommodation of the type generally required to house homeless families. This can help local authorities in their work to avoid the use of inappropriate temporary accommodation and sustain the government's target to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families with children.
§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 8 March 2004,Official Report, column 1222W, on homelessness, when he expects to publish research into homelessness among people from black and minority ethnic communities. [178688]
§ Yvette CooperThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned research on homelessness among black and minority ethnic (BME) households in February 2003.
A draft report and guide to encourage the development of effective homelessness services for BME households has been produced and are being discussed with a selection of local authorities and other key stakeholders in order to improve the usefulness of the final document. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects a final version of the guidance to be ready for publication later this summer. Copies of both documents will be made available in the Library of the House.
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