John Holmström leaves BHT: my thanks and best wishes to him

For the last three months or so, BHT has been undertaking a review of its management structure.  The aim of this review has been to establish a structure that is right for the organisation as it faces up to various challenges expected over the next five years.

With the proposed new structure there is no scope for retaining the post of Assistant Chief Executive.  John Holmström, the current post holder, agrees that changes have to be made to the senior management of BHT and helpfully recognises that  the organisation cannot proceed with someone solely dedicated to the role he carries out.  His duties will be distributed to other positions and John has decided to take voluntary redundancy.

In order that these changes can take place as soon as possible it has been agreed that it is best if he leaves with immediate effect, thus giving us all the chance to adjust to a new way of working.  I will be in touch with John from time to time with regard to handover issues and I appreciate John putting himself forward to be contacted in this way even though he will have officially left his post.  We have worked together for many  years and I will miss him.

At some point soon I hope to announce a gathering at which we can say a proper goodbye to John and thank him for all his good work.  Unfortunately, due to the short notice of this decision it has not been possible to sort this out yet.

I would like to thank John for his service to BHT since the mid 1980’s, for the contribution he has made to services for homeless men and women in Brighton and East Sussex, and the difference he has made to our communities.

Well done to the Brighton Argus for highlighting the dangers of payday loans

There was an excellent article in Saturday’s Brighton Argus regarding the dangers of payday loans.  It featured a woman who got into huge difficulties having borrowed £400 which she thought she could repay.  But when her child became ill, her earnings went down and she was caught in a spiral of debt.  She said: “I felt I had to take out the loan but found I couldn’t pay it back the next month.  It’s just made everything 10 times worse.”  She said she got text messages every day from payday loan companies offering more money.

Full credit to the Argus and its journalist Peter Truman for covering this issue.  It shows the value of local papers, sharing real-life stories, and signposting where people can get help locally.

In the article, BHT’s debt adviser, Danny Murphy, said: “I would strongly advise people to avoid these types of loans.  If you’re worried about your finances then please come and see one of my debt advisers as soon as possible.  All our advice is free and confidential.”

You can contact our Brighton Advice Centre on 01273 234737.

BHT’s assistant chief executive, John Holmström, said: “The number of people turning to us for advice on these types of loans has increased over recent years.  Borrowing from traditional lenders, banks and credit card companies has become more difficult and as a result people are forced to borrow money from other means.  Payday loans with extraordinarily high rates of interest can see customers buy into debt when they do not meet their repayments.  It is very easy to lose control and the effects can be disastrous.”

Some payday loan companies charge interest rates of more than 4,000% APR.  Late last year, following pressure, including from the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the government agreed to give the Financial Conduct Authority powers to cap rates.

Four proposals for tackling the housing shortage in Brighton & Hove including 750 homes at Toads Hole Valley

Nobby Clarke worked on the railways in Sussex for much of his life.  He was also a councillor in Brighton for almost 50 years and his proudest moment was when he became Mayor of his adopted town. He used to write a column for a local paper quaintly entitled ‘Twixt Down and Sea’ and one of his greatest passions was housing.

Twixt Down and Sea could summarise why there are few options available to tackle the housing shortage in Brighton and Hove, hemmed in as it is between the South Downs National Park and the sea.

But because there is an ever-increasing demand for homes in the City, compromises must be made and something must be done. And something can be done. Here are four measures for tackling the housing shortage in Brighton and Hove:

Go up: if we can’t go north, south, east or west, we can go up.  There is a presumption against tall buildings but perhaps, with good design, some should be allowed.  I think there has been a missed opportunity not putting 20 stories of student housing above the Open Market.  There are excellent transport links to the universities, outdoor space on the Level, and would have helped to regenerate London Road.

Greater density: my colleague at BHT, John Holmstrom, has coined the phrase ‘Transition Housing’. It describes a new type of housing, compact, self-contained kitchenette and shower room, with communal facilities such as shared laundries and allotments on the roof. It would be short term accommodation aimed at those struggling to compete in the housing market, allowing them to create a track-record as tenants and save for deposits. BHT is involved in a scheme that incoporates transitional housing but early indications suggest that we might run into difficulties with the planners.  That would be a shame since there is private finance available to enable the development of this housing which would be used for social purpose.

Empty properties: the City Council does a fine job in this regard but there is more that could be done, not least in properties above shops.  Robbust action should be taken when homes are left vacant or allowed to fall into disrepair.

Toads Hole Valley: this is a political hot potatoe at present, but I can’t see why.  There is a desperate need for housing and this last undeveloped site MUST be used for housing. It is an unkempt site and is suitable for development.  It is has been suggested that 750 homes could be built on the site and is a real opportunity to include hundreds of council or housing association properties.  If this opportunity is not taken up, future generations will not thank us.

PS: There is confusion over the name: is it Toad’s, Toads or Toad Hole Valley?  Different authorities use different variations.

Housing Conference for the Community and Voluntary Sectors in Brighton and Hove

There is an important housing conference in Brighton being held tomorrow (Friday 27th April). The conference is being organised by the Brighton and Hove Community and Voluntary Sector Forum (CVSF) and will focus on the key challenges facing housing in the city. Amongst the speakers are my colleague, John Holmström, and the leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Bill Randall.

This event is important as it is the first housing conference for the community and voluntary sector and is led by the housing network members. It will offer a space for exploration and critical reflection on current housing issues in the city.

The free event is being held at Hove Town Hall from 9.30am to 1.00pm.  Anyone who would like to attend the conference should contact Kat on (01273) 810230 or email kat@cvsectorforum.org.uk

Transition Housing: an answer to homelessness in Brighton & Hove?

When I first came to England in 1979 my first home was a room in a shared house. This is not uncommon for many in Brighton and Hove, not least our student population. It will become more common as housing benefit changes restrict anyone under the age of 35 to benefit levels equivalent to a room in a shared house. Coming into force on January 1^st, the change will see 820 men and women now competing for shared housing, creating greater competition for families looking for homes.

A few years later, having moved into other shared housing, I secured a tenancy for a bedsit with my own kitchenette and bathroom and my own front door. It felt like a palace. In reality the total floor space was less than my office at BHT, but it was mine.

I was a good tenant, paid my rent on time, didn’t disturb my neighbours, and helped keep the common ways clean and tidy. I got to know my landlord and a year or so later when a two bedroom flat in the same block became available, I was offered the tenancy. It was my home for the next seven years.

I was also able to make a recommendation to my landlord about who should be offered the tenancy of the tiny bedsit. I nominated someone who is amongst my oldest friends and for the past 26 years my colleague at BHT, John Holmström.

And it is to John that BHT owes many of its best ideas. It was his vision that saw the transformation of the Phase 1 Project that had previously been the Regency House Hotel, one of the most run-down, flea and rat-infested hovels inBrighton. John brokered the partnership that brought in the money and expertise to make the vision a reality.

John also came up with a solution to the lack of accommodation for men and women in psychiatric hospitals. He saw the opportunity to bring together private sector housing, health services and welfare benefits, and from his understanding the award-winning Route 1 Project was created. It now forms an invaluable part of the strategy for housing solutions for those with mental health problems.

John has now coined the phrase “Transition Housing” to encapsulate an idea to resolve the tensions between housing availability, affordability, standards, density, lack of land supply and financially viable developments. The immediate challenge is to have a conversation in the City to achieve consensus around his vision.

He explained the concept: “At the heart we need to come to terms with single people having to live more densely so we can free up as much space for family housing as possible. For this we have to be smarter about how successful denser living can be achieved. If we have less private space for example, we need to look at how communal spaces can be better used.

“For those without a study area for a computer we need to ensure better and greater use of libraries, schools and other community spaces. Rather than everybody having their own washing machine, we need shared laundry facilities in blocks of flats.  Such lifestyle adjustments will also help residents be more environmentally friendly.

“Where space is too small to have overnight visitors, we would need a spare guest flat that could be used for occasional visitors.”

John said to me that he knows that “there will be a million and one questions” but that should not hold us back from doing something imaginative, something bold, something “very Brighton” to address one of the obvious and immediate needs in the City.

I believe John has come up with something very exciting that must be taken forward.  In the very near future I hope to see Transition Housing become a widely endorsed concept. And if you don’t like the name, could I suggest ‘Holmström Housing’?

There will be an increase in homelessness, debt and family breakdown as a result of cuts to legal aid

More than a thousand households in Brighton and Hove will lose access for essential housing, welfare benefit and debt advice and representation should a Bill presented to Parliament today (Tuesday) be enacted into law.

The Sentencing and Legal Aid Bill was presented to Parliament by the Justice Secretary, Rt Hon Ken Clarke QC MP.  In a speech to the House of Commons, Mr Clarke said that legal aid “will no longer routinely be available for most private family law cases, clinical negligence, employment, immigration, some debt and housing issues, some education cases, and welfare benefits.”

With our partners, the Brightonand Hove Citizens Advice Bureau, we risk losing £500,000 per annum if the proposals are implemented. This is funding currently used to support over 3,000 of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Only a fraction of these residents would get help in the future.

My colleague John Holmström, in a press release put out today, said “Advice is effective in preventing homelessness, especially with early help. I am pleased that debt and housing matters where someone’s home is at immediate risk will continue to receive funding.  However, the proposals to limit legal aid to just those in imminent threat of repossession flies in the face of all the evidence showing how early intervention and prevention creates long term savings as well as of equal importance adverting hardship for our local residents.

“InBrighton alone, we are currently funded to take on around 1,400 housing cases. This is expected to drop to less than 300.  We will no longer receive legal aid funding for any welfare benefits or debt work.  The impact on these cuts will be an increase in homelessness, family breakdown, and general hardship.  With the loss of around £1 million funding, our advice services in Brighton, Eastbourne andHastingswill see considerable contraction and, nationwide, there will be a de-skilling of the sector as advisers with many years experience will move elsewhere.”

Along with fellow advice providers, BHT has been campaigning hard to oppose the cuts to legal aid and will continue to do so.  We have been heartened by the responses we have received from the five Members of Parliament for those areas in which we work. The MPs are Simon Kirby (Conservative; Kemp Town), Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion), Mike Weatherley (Hove), Stephen Lloyd (Eastbourne) and Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye).

MP’s will feel the affect of the proposed reduction in cases funded through legal aid.  I hope that they will continue to oppose these cuts to legal aid.  Should the cuts go ahead, Members of Parliament will see a huge increase in constituents turning to them for help in dealing with complex and involved housing, welfare benefit and debt cases.  I hope they and their staff will have the time and expertise to respond in the same way that our experienced and specialist staff currently do.

The age of social media is giving way to smarter ways of influencing and networking

For much of the last year I have been trying to persuade colleagues at BHT of the importance of social media. I have had limited success which must be more to do with my power of persuasion than the power of media such as Twitter! A few colleagues said to me, “Andy, we know you are into all of this, but it’s really not for us”.

However, the penny dropped a few months ago when I said to some colleagues, “Imagine if there was a meeting with key stakeholders present, debating the issues of the day that effect the City and the work we do. And imagine if you decided it wasn’t really for you and didn’t go. You would expect to be disciplined for negligence. Well the same is true for the ongoing, online debate that is happening right now”.

My colleague, John Holmstrom, got it and is now a regular contributed to Twitter and I am sure that many will learn much from his writing on his recently launched blog.

Having banged on about social media ad nauseum, I recently dropped a bombshell by saying that, while social media would continue, we had to move to something new – hyper local networks.

When you think how most of us operate, it is within small groups whose membership is controlled and where we trust those we influence and are influence by. While I might share some trivia through Twitter (my sad devotion to Stoke City, for example), I am not likely to share deeper, more important information. But there are those with whom I do such confidences.

Jason Schwartz has recently launched an iPhone App, Matchbook, that lists places, websites and other areas of interest. He decided not to incorporate social functions where your ‘friends’ can see your areas of interest. He said, “The age of social sharing [and broadcasting everything] has pretty much reached its end. I think moving forward we will see a new era of more classy social sharing that’s more indicative of people’s real social interactions in the real world. Social interactions online aren’t like the real world at all.”

This doesn’t mean that I will be retiring my Twitter account. No, Twitter remains mportant, but when it comes to influencing we all need to become smarter and, more time efficient when networking.

My approach remains one of Thought Leadership. I don’t profess to have any kind of monopoly on good ideas, but perhaps if I share my ideas with you, and you reflect back your ideas, based on your experience and wisdom, then hopefully I will see my ideas improved and strengthened.

But when it comes to influencing, I approach it on a hyper local basis. As a leader of an organisation part of my role is to align and motivate people in order to achieve the change we are seeking. It can be done by broadcasting through Twitter or this blog, but it is more likely to be achieved through small groups and, most likely, through one to one encounters.

Creating a society not at ease with itself

I have just been interviewed by the BBC regarding the Comprehensive Spending Review, the details of which are due to be released next week.  Already some measures have been announced that will have a massive impact on some households in Brighton and Hove.  So I am really grateful to my BHT colleagues John Holmström and Danny Murphy for helping me understand the implications of two measures announced in the last couple of weeks – the withdrawal of Child Benefit from households where one member earns above £43,875, and the cap of total benefits receivable – expected to be around £500 per week.

My reaction and concern about both these measures has grown since I first heard the announcements. Initially I thought “High earners can afford to go without this”, until I thought that this is a benefit paid, primarily, to women on which family budgets have been set.

Many families have little, if any, room for manoeuvre, and this will cause hardship. It is cash that is mainly spent in local shops on essentials for children. It will not just impact on women and their children, but also on the local economy. Far too many mothers who either do not work or are in low paid employment have husbands who will not or cannot make up the amounts lost. This is a benefit received by women and spent on children. The weakness of tax allowances is that they do not benefit the unmarried and, above all, it goes into the husband’s pocket and rarely reaches the children.

The amounts to be lost will make a huge dent in household incomes. Those with one child will lose £1,055 each year, those with 2 children £1,752, and a further £697 for each additional child. It just hasn’t been thought through! A widowed mother of 2 children earning £44,000 will lose £1,752, while the couple next door, also with two children, with each earning just £1,000 less but with a combined income of £86,000, won’t lose a penny. How can that be right?

As for the £500 cap on weekly benefit entitlement, I initially thought that there must be very few who received such an enormous level of benefit. That is until I realised that housing benefit would also be included in the cap. About 50,000 households across the country will be affected. The £500 cap will in particular hit tenants in Brighton and Hove who live in the private rented sector where rents are high. Let’s not forget that 25% of households in Brighton and Hove are in the private rented sector.

When added to reductions in housing benefit entitlement announced in the emergency budget, the impact in Brighton and Hove will, in particular, affect families with 3 or more children on Job Seekers Allowance or families with just 2 children if they are on Employment and Support Allowance (which replaced Incapacity Benefit in 2008).

Worse still if you have 4 children. You will experience a weekly shortfall of £178 per week if you are on Job Seekers Allowance. We are creating a radical new welfare benefit system that will last for at least the next 10 years. My concern is that this is being driven by budget cutting considerations rather than bringing about much needed reform of the benefits system.

If we get it wrong (and on Housing Benefit, Child Benefit, and the £500 benefit cap I believe we are), we will be reforming in haste, and society will repent at leisure. We will see increases in rent and mortgage arrears, increased family breakdown. There will be a widening gap between those who will be comfortable in spite of austerity cuts, and the rest – the squeezed middle, the working poor, and those out of work.

This won’t be a society at ease with itself.

John Holmstrom going strong after 25 years at BHT

Yesterday I wrote about my 25 years at BHT (this Thursday being the anniversary of the start of my employment in 1985). My colleague, John Holmstrom, has also been with BHT for 25 years. John was first employed by BHT in 1984 as a housing advice worker.  In the late 1980’s he took a year out to become a professional musician.  He returned as the manager of the advice services in Brighton and Eastbourne, and has been the Assistant CEO since 2003.  It was John who had the vision for many of our most successful services (Route 1, Phase 1, initiatives in the housing private sector, to name just a few).

I asked him to write something about his 25 years at BHT:-

“I have seen big changes in homelessness and legal services over the last 25 years. During the mid 1980’s for my first 3 years as a housing adviser I spent every morning calling around 20 B&B owners. I remember the prize being able to find a single room. Enforced sharing was the norm and loathed by our clients. Conditions were often appalling. I am pleased to have helped develop hostel provision in the City and, in particular, our 52 bed Phase One project where we took a virtually derelict, rat infested B&B and converted it into a high standard hostel. On a daily basis we see the lives of some of the most entrenched rough sleepers transformed.

“When I started as a housing adviser in the mid 80’s there was very limited specialist advice provision. Skilled legal advice can transform lives whether it is preventing an eviction or resolving complex debt/benefit problems. We are now offering this across East Sussex working closely with partners such as the CAB.

“I am proud that, as BHT has grown, we have stayed close to the clients with the hardest (and often most unpopular) problems to solve, whether that is someone sleeping rough years or child asylum seeker at risk of being returned to a country where they will be tortured or even put to death.

“I am proud that we have developed forward thinking and innovative services in the private rented sector, and that this sector has taken on the role of housing both poorer and better off tenants.

“One challenge I would pick out is making the argument for public investment in legal advice. We will see more people fall through an increasingly frayed safety net as welfare benefits and public services are thinned out. We need excellent advocacy services to equip clients to manage with less and optimise their options. This is good for clients and the effective use of scarcer public services. It also provides a much needed alarm system, if any gaping holes emerge in the safety net.

“In 25 years time I look forward to being happily and healthily retired. I have four children so I am sure we will be occupied with numerous grand children! I am determined, however, to carve out time to play in bands again and the church organ (I love both classical music and the blues). I am half Swedish and adore the language, so time to read classic Swedish literature will be a treat!”

Reflecting on 25 years working for BHT.

This coming Thursday I will have been employed by BHT for 25 years, almost half my life! Over the years BHT has become a much larger and more professional organisation. The main beneficiaries are our clients who receive more and better services. When I started there were less that a dozen employees. I was a hostel worker before becoming manager of our residential mental health and substance misuse services. We now employ 250 members of staff and work with over 10,000 men and women each year in Brighton & Hove, Eastbourne, Hastings and beyond.

I am really proud of the quality of BHT’s staff, who are driven, passionate and skilled to make a difference to their clients, whether it is finding accommodation, working through complex mental health or addiction problems, or preventing homelessness through our advice services. One of the great things about having been with BHT for so long is going around Brighton and bumping into people whose lives have been changed by the work of BHT.

There are two big issues moving forward, the provision of affordable housing for local people, and the risks posed by alcohol and drugs.

The future of social housing is uncertain so we have to look for solutions in the private rented sector. Proposed changes to housing benefit entitlement will make it more difficult for people on low incomes to get accommodation, and we can expect to see a huge increase in homelessness and rough sleeping. I hope the government will rethink this proposal.

The other huge issue is the increase use and damage caused by alcohol and drugs. This has the real potential for undermining the economy of areas such as Brighton and Hove, and as a City we need to rethink our relationship with alcohol and drugs before more damage is done.

Where do I want to be in 25 years? Happily retired, watching cricket at Hove with my grandchildren!

(My colleague John Holmstrom is also celebrating 25 years at BHT. I have asked him to write something about his time at BHT. I will post his thoughts tomorrow)