From 2006 to 2008, the Foundation funded several projects aimed at increasing access for single homeless people to the private rented sector (PRS). It was important to explore, and indeed promote, the role of the PRS because other housing or ‘resettlement’ routes were becoming more difficult to access.
We produced this video to help agencies, landlords and hostel residents think again about the PRS as a serious alternative to social housing.
We believe we have made a major contribution to unlocking the PRS through:
- providing funding for new initiatives to test and explore how it can be used most effectively as a resettlement solution
- learning from and influencing wider practice, which the Foundation is not directly funding
- acting as a focus for learning, dissemination and action.
The programme is now complete, however Off the Streets and Into Work and Crisis continue to build on our work and extend it.
Key Outcomes
The Private Rented Sector website
We produced a Private Rented Sector website as a hub of information and resources on the subject in 2007. Developed by Jellymould Creative, the site is now managed by Crisis.
www.privaterentedsector.org.uk
Your Passport to Renting a Private Home
A short, practical guide, Your Passport to Renting a Private Home is aimed at service users who are making the transition from homelessness, or hostel accommodation, to finding and securing a flat in the private rented sector.
The London Housing Foundation collaborated with Off the Streets and Into Work (OSW) and Jellymould Creative on producing Your Passport to Renting a Private Home. The back cover features a handly checklist of paperwork and actions that must be gathered and completed in order to qualify as a tenant.
Feedback on the guide has been that it is well received by staff and service users.
The guide can be downloaded for free the OSW website.
Grants Programme
The Foundation provided funding to three initiatives under its
PRS grants programme:
Future Search Conference
The Foundation held a PRS Future Search conference in July 2007 involving approximately 80 people, including landlords, (formerly) homeless people, homelessness agencies, Local Authorities, pan-London bodies, and central Government. The day enabled the Foundation to collectively plan systemic change in how the PRS is utilised as a resettlement solution for ‘non-statutory’ homeless people. It was also seminal in bringing together diverse agencies and individuals to find common ground.
A report of the conference is available to download free from our
resources page.
PRS Symposia
While much was achieved at the conference, many questions were also raised. In response to these the Foundation organised four symposia from October 2007 to January 2008, based on the key issues and ideas that had arisen. Some of the more complex areas could be explored in more depth and an action plan developed in a series of discrete, smaller, expert groups.
The symposia were facilitated jointly by the Foundation and
Neadon Consulting and were 'future-oriented', each exploring a specific theme:
- The letting agency model
- Passports to the PRS
- Housing options and choice-based lettings
- Mobility and support.
A short report of the key findings,
PRS Symposiums - key themes and policy options, can be downloaded from our
resources page.
Rent Deposit Schemes
The Foundation worked closely with
Crisis to evaluate effective practice in
rent deposit schemes (RDSs), and to provide evidence to Local Authorities to encourage them to broaden the provision of their existing schemes (which currently focus on statutory need groups) to non-statutory groups.
Supported-Accommodation PRS Workshops
Perceptions of the PRS held by both workers and residents within supported-accommodation schemes are one of the biggest barriers to its more effective use. While some of their fears may be legitimate, the Foundation believes that the case must be made that with the right support the PRS can work.
The Foundation therefore worked with
Thames Reach to develop and pilot a workshop programme for residents and workers in supported-accommodation schemes, to explore their perceptions of housing options, in particular of the PRS.