Summary of the homelessness review findings
The Homelessness Act 2002 requires every local housing authority to carry out a review of homelessness in their district every five years and to publish a homelessness strategy based on the findings of the review.
The review includes information about the levels of homelessness in Dartford, who is affected by it and the reasons for becoming homeless. It considers the challenges placed on households and on services, which have an impact on current and future levels of homelessness. It also includes information about how we prevent homelessness, how we secure accommodation and support for homeless households; and, the resources we have to deliver these services. It also it incorporates the views of our partner organisations that we work with to address homelessness issues.
The findings of the review underpins and informs this strategy. The full review can be found on the Housing Strategy and Policy page, which also includes an Executive Summary. A summary of the main characteristics of homelessness in Dartford identified under the review is set out below. This looks at data over four years from 2019-2020 to 2022-2023.
Levels and causes of homelessness
The number of initial homelessness assessments peaked in 2019-2020 at 722 and show a downward trend over the following two years, which was in part due to the pandemic that saw reductions in the number of assessments undertaken nationally. However, in 2022-2023, initial assessments increased 20.4% from the previous year.
Over half of initial assessments were taken at the prevention stage. This indicates that opportunities for early intervention were present and performance in this area was above the national level.
Ending of an assured shorthold tenancy (AST) and family or friends no longer willing to accommodate were the most common reasons for homelessness for applicants owed a prevention duty.
Family or friends no longer willing to accommodate was the most common reason for homelessness for applicants owed a relief duty. A notable increase can be seen in 2022-2023 in applicants owed a relief duty due to domestic abuse.
Applicants who were accepted the prevention duty were mainly living in the private rented sector or with family at the time of their homelessness application.
At the relief stage, there were applicants living in different forms of insecure housing or were without accommodation or sleeping rough due to the different circumstances and acute housing need of households at this stage.
Characteristics of homeless households
Overall, single people without dependent children accounted for just under half of all prevention and relief acceptances. The highest proportion of applicants owed a prevention duty were from single female parent households with dependent children, and the highest proportion of applicants owed a relief duty were from single adult male households and single female parent households with dependent children.
The highest proportion of applicants came from the 25-34 age group, followed by the 35-44 and 18-24 age groups.
The highest proportion of main applicants owed a prevention or relief duty were from a White ethnic group, which is broadly representative of the overall Dartford population from a White ethnic group.
Over a third of applicants were registered unemployed.
Prevention and relief outcomes
In 2019-2020, 53.49% of prevention cases were assisted to successfully prevent their homelessness where accommodation was secured for six months or more. This reduced year-on-year down to 31.80% in 2022-2023. A proportion of prevention cases were becoming homeless and entering into the relief duty stage.
Of those applicants who had secured accommodation at the end of the prevention duty mainly secured self-contained accommodation in the private rented sector.
The main prevention activities carried out to secure accommodation at the end of the prevention duty were delivered via the Council’s Housing Solutions team; helping to secure accommodation, found by the applicant with a council funded financial payment.
In 2019-2020, 26.29% of relief cases secured accommodation for six months or more. The figure was 20.71% in 2022-2023. The proportion of applicants where 56 days has elapsed in the relief stage was notable throughout the review period and stood at 56.63% in 2022-2023, which was higher than the national level.
Of those applicants who had secured accommodation at the end of the relief duty mainly secured self-contained private rented or social rented accommodation.
The main relief activities carried out to secure accommodation at the end of the relief duty were delivered via the Housing Solutions team.
Main duty decision outcomes
In 2022-2023, 89.20% of decisions found the applicant to be homeless, in priority need and unintentionally homeless (main duty owed), which is above the England figure of 70.50%.
The largest proportion of applicants owed a main duty were in priority need because the household included dependent children, followed by vulnerability due to mental health problems.