Reflections on 25 Years at BHT

I started working for BHT 25 years ago today. I hope you will forgive me for posting something more lengthy than usual: my reflections on BHT, what we are here to do, and the need to increase the pace and scale of change for the benefit of our clients.

BHT’s Mission (“combating homelessness, creating opportunities, promoting change”) doesn’t go back quite 25 years, but it continues to provide a neat summary of what we are about. Or does it? We have recently reviewed the Mission and what we mean by it, and fresh challenges have emerged, not least because of the economic and social policy changes we are facing.

In his speech in Downing Street, immediately after being asked to form a government, David Cameron said he aimed to “help build a more responsible society here in Britain… those who can should and those who can’t, we will always help. I want to make sure that my government always looks after the elderly, the frail, the poorest in our country”.

Since that speech, government ministers have emphasised the message that individuals ‘who can’ are expected to take responsibility for addressing their situation and for moving from dependency on benefits and into work. Measures are being put in place to put pressure on claimants to seek work. The change to housing benefit eligibility is an obvious and high profile measure that the government seems determined to implement in spite of wide-spread opposition.

There are some proposals which I, personally, welcome and endorse. The government is determination to tackle drug problems. Those with drug problems will have to engage in treatment or they will lose their benefit entitlement. I have some serious concerns about this, but not so the treatment model that Ministers are promoting. They have instructed the National Treatment Agency to “champion abstinence”, a 180 degree change from that of the previous government where stabilisation and harm minimisation was the objective. This is a policy change that I, personally, have advocated for more than a decade and one which I warmly welcome.

I believe that if we are to see lasting change for those with addictions, achieving abstinence is not the end goal, it is merely the starting point for a transition to normal living.

The services provided by BHT remain as relevant as ever, and the need is likely to increase. What each service seeks to achieve will need to be reviewed, partly in light of the changing social policy and financial environment, but mainly because regular reviews are the right thing to do.

BHT must retain and enhance its reputation of ‘doing difficult’, working with homeless men and women, including those with complex needs, and we must retain our ability to work with people where they are at. But we must also ensure that by emphasising the vulnerabilities and problems experienced by some of our clients, we do not ‘ghettoise’ all clients. Many of our clients are in housing need simply because of the lack of affordable housing. As my colleague John Holmström continually reminds me, we must put housing back into homelessness!

Combating Homelessness

BHT recognises that there is a genuine shortage of affordable and social housing and that alternate provision is required to meet housing needs of our clients through the private rented sector. Securing social housing for our core client group is becoming a less achievable outcome and will remain so, at least during the lifetime of this parliament. Councils are using new legal freedoms to give people with a job an advantage over unemployed people when it comes to gaining social housing. Already Manchester, Rochdale, Newcastle, Barnet, Uttlesford and Westminster (who between them manage almost 86,000 homes) are amongst those who plan to give people in work or training priority in the allocation of social housing.

BHT’s current policy is to campaign for greater provision of social housing. While we will continue to argue the case for public investment into bricks and mortar, in the current environment our clients are likely to be best served by increasing access to the private rented sector. In doing so we will need to be upfront and honest with our clients that social housing is not likely to provide a solution to their housing need. We need to ensure that they are focused on preparing themselves for housing in the private rented sector and all that that entails. If our clients are able to secure social housing, that will be a bonus.

Creating Opportunities

BHT creates opportunities and circumstances that will increase the potential for clients to be housed, undertake training and education, and secure employment since poverty is a major reason for homelessness and ill health. In the current environment, our clients will not thrive if they opt out of engaging in rehabilitation, training and employment opportunities. Our staff must ensure they motivate clients to actively engage with this approach, and they should spell out the consequences of ‘opting out’ in terms of housing opportunities and future welfare benefit entitlement.

We must ask if we trap people with their labels, get people identified by their problem. Do we inadvertently create ‘ghettos’ by reinforcing the problem by providing services that might suggest that mainstream services are for others? Do we have the right attitudes, culture and expertise to ensure that clients have ambitions, and that those ambitions are meaningful and achievable? And do we nurture hope and aspirations within our clients?

On the whole I think we are doing ok and in some areas very well, but there are some areas and individuals who may argue that clients have a right, for example, not to address their alcohol or drug problem, who will excuse a failure of a resident to pay rent, or who will focus on a ‘counselling approach’ at the expense of housing, training and employment solutions. I believe that should such attitudes or work practices exist, they need to change.

Promoting Change

‘Combating homelessness’ and ‘creating opportunities’ are fairly straightforward concepts. Not necessarily so with ‘promoting change’. Most, if not all, staff would support the concept of ‘change’, and BHT does some inspirational work in facilitating change for our clients, but we now need to go to the next level by being clear exactly what “promoting change” means. There may be a few who would qualify a commitment to change with “only if that is what the client wants” or “but clients have the right not to change”. What the client wants or does not want should not be the defining factor for us. We have a moral duty to work in the best interest of the client and clients as a whole. True advocacy requires the advocate to spell out what is best; it is not merely giving a voice to a client’s wishes regardless of how unachievable or non-sustainable such wishes are.

I believe that the pace and scale of change can and must be increased, firstly, because it is right for our clients and, secondly, because of the prevailing economic and social policy imperatives that have emerged following the 2010 general election. There should be an expectation that staff ‘drive’ change. The concept ‘promoting change’ is not passive. In doing so we must equip clients to manage their problems and to sustain progress made.

Whatever our views are of the approach of the Coalition Government, those “who can” who remain dependent on welfare benefits and state support will find fewer opportunities (accommodation, benefits, etc.) and a more ‘coercive’ approach from government. We must prepare our clients for this reality. There needs to be a sense of urgency about this agenda.

During the remainder of 2010/11, we need to review our approach to ‘change’, its scale and pace, and put in place new policies and approaches should they be required.

 There are a number of issues that will need to be explored further. For example: 

• How can we understand the difference between ‘can’t change’ and ‘won’t change’, and how we should continue to work with clients in each group? We don’t want to create new classes of excluded men and women.
• How should we position ourselves regarding choices and consequences? For example, with rents, should we only support move on if someone has no arrears, or no arrears for 3 or 6 months, etc.? This is a real client-centred approach where we treat them in the real world, not in some cotton-wool world.
• What can we expect, even demand, from clients when considering what is “for the greater good”?

How we do this must be left with individual services, but I am giving out a clear message that we need to increase the pace and scale of change. It is a message that should be welcomed by most, not least because the greater the change, and the sooner it happens, can only be good for our clients. BHT, its staff and supporters have a lot to be proud of, and we can be excited about the difference we will be making to the lives of our clients for the next 25 years.

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!”

Squatting: An honourable tradition about meeting housing need

Yesterday I was asked one of those simple questions that is almost impossible to answer because of the complexity of the issues.  A reporter from the Brighton Argus, Giles Sheldrick, asked whether people can have a moral objection should homeless people take over homeless properties. 

There are no simple and straightforward answers to complex ethical issues such as this.  In a city like Brighton and Hove there is acute housing need, and we need to find creative solutions to deal with the housing shortage.

But should homeless people be able to live in any property that is unoccupied? It depends on why the property is empty, and what plans there are to bring it back into use.  It is not and never can be right to squat a property that is temporarily empty when it is waiting to be let, sold, or converted.  This can cause enormous losses for the owner.

It is another matter if a property has been left unoccupied and derelict for years on end, and then only if no hardship is caused to the owner.  Perhaps in those very limited circumstances, squatting might be justified, but then it would also depend on the attitude of those squatting.

There are two kind of squatters, those who are genuinely trying to find a housing solution, who respect property, seek to make improvements, and who are willing to engage constructively with the owners including making payments of rent.

Then there are those who are seeking to avoid paying rents, disrespect and damage property, and who leave the property in a worse state than it was before.  I have contempt for those who wreck properties.  They are vandals and do not deserve the title ‘squatter’ which has an honourable and noble tradition.

A few years ago, I dealt with a group of travellers who squatted a site which BHT had acquired and where we wished to develop a specialist accommodation service.  I met with the squatters, explained our plans and our timescale, and agreed with them a date by which they would leave.  They left on cue, leaving the site in a better state than they had found it.  It was a risk but one whick was worth taking.

One way of addressing housing need in Brighton and Hove is to build confidence amongst private sector landlords, big and small, by working with the City Council and schemes such as BHT’s Firm Foundations Project.  We can ensure that landlords receive the rents due to them and the property is returned to them when they expect it and in good condition.  We can remove the need for squatting if we work together.

(You can read Giles Sheldrick’s article which is published in today’s Argus (7th September) and which has very interesting quotes from Cllr Bill Randall and by Lord Steve Bassam, himself a former squatter).

Housing Benefit reforms will lead to a massive increase in homelessness

Today my colleague John Holmstrom and I have written to the Members of Parliament for the three constituencies in Brighton and Hove, Simon Kirby (Brighton Kemptown0, Dr Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) and Mike Weatherley (Hove) regarding changes to how housing benefit entitlement will be calculated in the years to come.  Here is an extract from our letter:

“We are writing to raise our concerns with you regarding the likelihood of a significant increase in homelessness and rough sleeping in Brighton and Hove as a result of measures announced in Tuesday’s budget.

“Together we have a total of 50 years experience working in Brighton and Hove with men and women who are homeless.  We have an understanding of what works and can recall times, including in the mid 1990’s, when an unintended consequence of a change in Housing Benefit payment levels resulted in a massive exit of private sector landlords and a massive increase in rough sleeping.  We believe that the changes in housing benefit regulation announced in the budget will see a repeat of this.

“There is a great deal of technical information but the bottom line is that changes in Housing Benefit entitlement, if it was implemented today, could see a typical single person over 25 in Brighton living in an average one bedroom flat lose £28.50 from their weekly Job Seekers Allowance.  JSA is currently £64.50 which would leave them with just £36.00 to live on.

“The LHA in Brighton and Hove for a one bed flat is currently £149.59 per week.  The current formula is based on the median rent for such properties in the City.  In future it will be at 30%, not the median, resulting, on a conservative estimate of current market rents, in a weekly reduction in housing benefit eligibility of £15.00 although rents are unlikely to be reduced.  There will be a further reduction for those on Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) for 12 months who would see their entitlement reduced by a further 10% or £13.50 per week. 

“This is bad news all round.  The individual will be left with just £36.00 for food, heat and light, clothing and other essentials, the landlord is likely to see an increase in bad debts, and the local Council will have more people being evicted. 

“Fortunately the most damaging aspect of this change is due to be implemented in 2013, so there is still time for the government to think through the implication of its decision.  The coalition government has pledged to protect the poorest, but this seems to be going against that commitment.

“The economy in the City has remained buoyant in spite of the recession, and people still want to move here.  It remains a ‘landlord market’ in Brighton.  There is no reason why a landlord will drop their rent to £135 and then to £121.50, and there is no commercial interest for landlords to rent to those on benefits given the likelihood of an increase in bad debts.  Most private landlords have just one or two properties and we cannot rely on altruism. They cannot afford it and it does not make commercial sense.

“This issue will particularly affect Brighton and Hove given that we have a very large private rented sector (24%) and a relatively small social sector (less than 15%).  This measure will impact particularly on single households of which, demographically, there is a high proportion in the City.

“We can foresee a return to the position in the mid-1990’s where there was a massive exit of private sector landlords and a massive increase in homelessness and rough sleeping.

“There has been an amazing amount of good partnership working in Brighton and Hove involving organisations such as CRI, Sussex Central YMCA, and BHT.  In particular, Brighton and Hove City Council can take a lot of credit for the steep reduction in homelessness and rough sleeping.  It is a shame that all these achievements may be undermined by these changes”.

 We have urged our representatives to raise these concerns with Ministers.

A good news story about BHT working in partnership with private landlords

There was a BHT good news story this week which I missed! It is not like me as I have sometimes been accused of presenting BHT as the only show in town.  This is a weakness as I do passionately believe in and am proud of the amazing work undertaken by BHT staff. 

But I have learned my lesson.  I also now talk about the excellent work of partner organisations such as Sussex Central YMCA, CRI and Rise, to name a few, as well as the positive relationship we enjoy with our local authority partners such as Brighton and Hove City Council, Eastbourne and Hastings Borough Councils, and East Sussex County Council.

But back to the good news story.  It concerns another essential partner for BHT – private sector landlords.  BHT is leasing studio flats from private landlords for three years and paying a guaranteed monthly rent of up to £500.

We understand that landlords want to minimise their risk.  We guarantee the rent, and we will keep the property in good condition.  Tenants will receive support as well as being able to access our programmes to support them back into work.

But I would say that, wouldn’t I?  Malcolm Pither of the East Sussex branch of the National Landlords Association thinks the scheme will be a success.  He said: “It is good for landlords because they get guaranteed rent, and it’s good for tenants because they get security.  There can be problems with any tenancy, but we hope BHT will mitigate that with extra help and advice”.

In towns on the coastal south east, like Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, there can be unrealistic expectations placed on local authorities as being able to resolve every housing problem in their area.  We need to be more practical and look to the private rented sector as being the most likely provider of housing options.

For more information about BHT’s Private Sector Leasing Scheme, please call 01273 234750.