Questions Submitted Under Council Procedure Rule 10
(i) By Councillor Mrs Temperton to Councillor Birch, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing
High deposits and the paucity of mortgage lending have resulted in an increase in demand for rented accommodation and a consequential rise in rentable values. Many of the lower income families have been priced out of the market. The Council has evidence that 60% of its homeless families were evicted by landlords wishing to reclaim their property.
What plans does the Council have to address this pressing issue?
(ii) By Councillor Ms Brown to Councillor Birch, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing
The number of our homeless families being placed in one room bed and breakfast accommodation outside the Borough, in Slough and Farnborough, is increasing. On November 15 there were 9 such families. Besides landlord eviction the other main causes of homelessness are partner break up, parental eviction, violence and mortgage arrears. In the present economic climate, these problems are unlikely to go away.
What will the Council do to house our homeless within the Borough?
Minutes:
(i) Councillor Mrs Temperton asked Councillor Birch, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing the following published question:
High deposits and the paucity of mortgage lending have resulted in an increase in demand for rented accommodation and a consequential rise in rentable values. Many of the lower income families have been priced out of the market. The Council has evidence that 60% of its homeless families were evicted by landlords wishing to reclaim their property.
What plans does the Council have to address this pressing issue?
In response Councillor Birch stated that the Bracknell Forest Council has a very good record of dealing with homelessness. To help process policy has been put in place so that housing benefits can be paid directly to the landlord rather than recipient. The Council is able to pay loans to help people to find a house and works closely with landlords and letting agents to help maintain tenancy.
In response to a supplementary question on why there was no reference to supporting homelessness in the new Medium Term Objectives Councillor Birch stated that he felt this was covered by the commitment to provide a range of appropriate housing.
(ii) Councillor Ms Brown asked Councillor Birch, Executive Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing the following published question
The number of our homeless families being placed in one room bed and breakfast accommodation outside the Borough, in Slough and Farnborough, is increasing. On November 15 there were 9 such families. Besides landlord eviction the other main causes of homelessness are partner break up, parental eviction, violence and mortgage arrears. In the present economic climate, these problems are unlikely to go away.
What will the Council do to house our homeless within the Borough?
In response Councillor Birch stated that the Council was already investing to provide accommodation. He stated that as part of prevention work if an officer found residents were becoming homeless the Council would try to help them get their own home through the cash incentive scheme ‘My Home Buy’. Any families accommodated outside of the borough are on a temporary basis and the Council is working with Bracknell Forest Homes to look at a number of additional places to help people at an early stage. The priority is to help people stay in the borough.
In response to a supplementary question regarding what the Council does to help maintain regular attendance at schools for families accommodated outside the borough Councillor Birch explained that pupils were transported back to their school at a cost to the Council. He added that this was one of the reasons why housing people within the borough was more cost effective.