, Minister for Housing and Local Government:
In July 2019 I established an expert Homelessness Action Group to
examine a number of key questions, including the framework of
measures and policies needed to end homelessness in Wales. The
group, chaired by Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of Crisis, has
undertaken detailed work and engagement over this time and I am
pleased to today publish their third and final report. I want to
take the opportunity to thank each and every member of the group
for their involvement in this valuable work. They have given their
time and enormous expertise to assist us in our shared goal of
ending homelessness in Wales. I also want to thank the many
stakeholders and service users who the group engaged with
throughout their work; your input has ensured the recommendations
are grounded in lived experience.
The second and most comprehensive report of the group, examining
the framework of policies and measures needed to end
homelessness, was published earlier this year just as our focus
was shifting to the Covid-19 pandemic response. The third and
final report, which is published today, examines rapid re-housing
and local partnerships. All three reports contain recommendations
for Welsh Government, which I am pleased to accept in principle,
and we will continue the work already underway across Government
to determine how best they can be implemented in practice. Whilst
the group has now completed its work, my officials will continue
to draw on the expertise of individual group members as we move
forward with the report recommendations. I will provide further
details on the specific actions underway or proposed in regard to
the various recommendations in due course.
It is also important to note that the first and second reports of
the Homelessness Action Group have of course already been used to
inform our homelessness response to the Covid-19 pandemic; in
particular they have informed our Phase 2 guidance and the
transformational approach it sets out. I announced in July an
additional ??50m this year to support this approach, both to
ensure those brought into temporary accommodation could be
supported into permanent homes, but also to begin the
transformation of services. I recognise this is simply the start,
and as is clearly set out in the work of the Homelessness Action
Group, further investment will be needed to continue this
transformation next year and beyond if we are to achieve our goal
of ending homelessness.
I also want to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the
housing teams and support workers in local authorities and the
third sector who have been working tirelessly to support some of
our most vulnerable people during this pandemic. The latest
published data brings the number of people supported into
temporary accommodation since March to over 3,200. Lives have
undoubtedly been saved, and it is thanks to the efforts of staff
whose hard work and dedication all too often goes unnoticed -
thank you.
Collectively, we have demonstrated what can be achieved when we
work together and I am determined that there will be no going
back. We need to build on the progress made this year, with the
next steps being underpinned by the work of the Homelessness
Action Group. Also informing our next steps will be the recently
published report, which I commissioned last year, on the
implications of making changes to Priority Need. It is vital that
the policy and legislative framework supports our
transformational agenda and we will be examining the potential
need for legislative reform as part of the next steps.
We have unfortunately seen a recent increase in the numbers of
people sleeping rough, demonstrating once again the need for
continued assertive outreach and a continuing intensive effort
not only to support people off the streets but to ensure the
appropriate wrap around support is in place to help them succeed
and thrive
Whilst some of the previous lockdown measures may have eased, the
importance of a home in order to be able to adhere to public
health advice and stay safe remains unchanged. We continue to
advise that no-one, including those who have No Recourse to
Public Funds, should be left without appropriate emergency
accommodation or support during the pandemic. Local authorities
remain able to access additional funding to support this
inclusive approach and on average ??1.6m additional funding is
being claimed per month ??? so around ??20m additional funding
for this emergency response for 2020/21.
Whilst our response to the pandemic has necessarily focused on
the acute end of homelessness, we also continue to work across
Government to take forward earlier intervention and preventative
activity, so that people do not become homeless in the first
place. As I set out in our Strategy for Ending Homelessness, and
is reiterated in the Homelessness Action Group Report, this is a
public service issue and therefore requires a whole system
response.
Our goal remains to make homelessness rare, brief and
un-repeated. Collectively we have made considerable strides
forward this year and begun the transformation required to end
homelessness in Wales. We remain rightly ambitious and optimistic
that together we can achieve this goal.
