§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the funding each local authority in London(a) has received and (b) will receive from the Homelessness Directorate in (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04 and (iii) 2004–05 to support their local homelessness strategies; and how that funding has been or is to be used in each case. [158549]
§ Yvette CooperThe allocations to London boroughs over the three years 2002–03 to 2004–05 are tabled as follows.
Homelessness grants from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are intended to supplement main sources of expenditure on homelessness (for example, local authority general fund expenditure and housing investment) to fund innovative services that tackle and prevent homelessness more effectively. The approaches underpinning this funding were set out in our March 2002 report, "More than a roof".
Allocations were boosted in 2002–03 and 2003–04 in acknowledgement of the need to pump-prime a number of new schemes to help deliver the Government's target to end the use of bed and breakfast hotels for homeless families with children, except in short-term emergencies, while improvements to Housing Benefit subsidy for other forms of temporary accommodation were put in place.
All housing authorities are offered a set allocation based on historic levels of homelessness in the borough. An additional grant may also be awarded based on performance in tackling homelessness and an assessment by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Government Offices in the Regions of bids submitted by authorities for funds to help them:
eradicate the use of bed and breakfast hotels as accommodation for homeless families with children, except in short-term emergencies;sustain reductions in the number of people sleeping rough to a level as near to zero as possible and at least two-thirds below the level in 1998; andtackle and prevent homelessness more effectively.Over the three-year period there has been a reduction in direct commissioning by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of services to tackle rough sleeping. Resources have been transferred to local authorities to commission services themselves as part of the development and implementation of local homelessness strategies. This is most apparent in the increasing allocation to Westminster.
Authorities have considerable discretion over how they use the grant, provided that they deliver the required outcomes. While particular schemes are set out in individual financial agreements and monitoring returns for each authority, we do not maintain a detailed, central schedule of all the services funded in each year. Typical of the range of schemes that may be funded are: mediation; rent deposit/bond schemes; private sector and RSL lettings; advice services; services 1711W for particularly vulnerable groups; tenancy sustainment and outreach services. Services provided in each local authority area, including those receiving Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funding, are likely to feature in most authorities' homelessness strategies if they existed or were planned when the strategies were being written.
An independent evaluation of the homelessness strategies developed during 2003 in response to the requirements of the Homelessness Act 2002 has been commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and will provide more detailed information on the approaches taken by authorities. A further project will be commissioned shortly to evaluate homelessness prevention schemes, including those funded by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's homelessness grants.
£ Grant paid 2002–
Offer amounts
2003–041
Provisional offer
2004–052
Barking and Dagenham 38,000 68,000 28.000 Barnet 420,000 435,000 165,000 Bexley 120,000 130,800 58,000 Brent 1,970,000 1,423,000 783,000 Bromley 242,000 183,500 100,000 Camden 1,004,000 1,884,192 1,800,000 City of London 18,000 656,000 500,000 Croydon 1,597.000 1,104,000 600,000 Ealing 1,535,000 1,224,608 600,000 Enfield 588,000 509,000 250,000 Greenwich 63,000 113,000 100,000 Hackney 224,000 646,000 640,000 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,816,000 1,300,500 1,500,000 Haringey 421,000 473,500 200,000 Harrow 191,000 181,000 178,000 Havering 0 27,000 27,000 Hillingdon 920,000 780,000 80,000 Hounslow 494,000 459,000 180,000 Islington 306.000 326,700 357,000 Kensington and Chelsea 1,252,000 1,565,511 905,000 Kingston upon Thames 151,000 121,000 90,000 Lambeth 1,083,000 1,149,456 2,000,000 Lewisham 79,000 290,000 250,000 Merton 116,000 75,000 80,000 Newham 1,803,000 1,257,000 250,000 Redbridge 458,000 292,000 105,000 Richmond 116,000 386,576 295,000 Southwark 518,000 996,508 1,100,000 Sutton 241,000 193,000 150,000 Tower Hamlets 1,174,000 876,050 800,000 Waltham Forest 825,000 383,000 200,000 Wandsworth 629,000 546.000 300,000 Westminster 2,902,000 4,434,374 7,366,000 1 We will not know actual spend for 2003–04 until fourth quarter expenditure returns are completed and returned by London authorities. 2Some 2004–05 offers are still to be agreed with London authorities. In addition to the above grants, cross boundary funding provided mainly to voluntary and community sector agencies to tackle and prevent homelessness totalled:
£ 2002–03 24,371,000 2003–04 18,735,000 2004–05 19,063,000 1 Not all allocations for 2004–05 have been confirmed.