A rapidly growing crisis in homelessness in Preston – what can be done?

The busy housing and homelessness conference at The Salvation Army.

The homelessness crisis in Preston is intensifying as the city’s MP brought together a range of organisations to hear potential solutions.

Hosted at The Salvation Army and set against a back drop of more people sleeping rough on the streets since record began.

Labour’s Sir Mark Hendrick MP and Mike Amesbury MP, Shadow Minister for Housing Standards and Homelessness, were the two politicians quizzed on their plans for the future, provoking discussion and at some points anger about what the government needs to do to tackle the crisis.

“Why should we trust politicians? I want to believe you, I have hope for you as an individual but how do I know you will deliver these promises?”

These were the words of a frustrated homeless person, directed at the two MPs – a perfect illustration of the city’s lack of certainty.

The morning meeting brought people together from different organisations across the city who deal with housing and homelessness, including Preston City Council, the Foxton Centre and Community Gateway Housing Association.

Sir Mark Hendrick started the conference, describing the problem as a “chronic housing crisis” and expressing how the day was about having “honest and open conversations” to address the issue.

He said the cost of living crisis has brought an unprecedented demand for housing, meaning it is harder to get on the property ladder now, resulting in an increased amount of people facing threats of homelessness.

Sir Mark also said, as an MP for Preston, housing is one of the top two issues raised with himself.

Those in the audience could ask questions to the panel and MPs Pic: Blog Preston

What Preston City Council is doing

Preston City Council’s biggest cause for concern was the demand for homelessness services in the city, with the team seeing 78 new homeless applications in just four days, 30 per week being the average.

Laura Riley, housing options manager said: “It gets worse and worse as time goes by.

“We have less time and less resources with an increasing number of people with higher support needs or complex cases.”

Higher support needs can include those who have a learning difficulty, a history of mental health problems or domestic abuse who have priority for social housing.

Although priority doesn’t mean wait times are shorter, the average wait time for a band A emergency house is a year – the shortest time on the list.

A huge topic for those attending, people expressed the need for a “proper social housing policy funded by the government.”

Social housing aims to be more affordable than private renting, providing people with stable and long-term accommodation. However, the national housing emergency means there are not enough good quality, stable social homes, fuelling the homelessness and rough sleeping crisis.

As snapshot data revealed last month, Preston had the highest amount of rough sleepers in Lancashire.

Preston has been piloting a temporary night service at St George’s Church since November last year. The scheme allows rough sleepers to access 15-bed spaces each night.

In February, Preston City Council had 35 people come off the street into different accommodation pathways – some hope for the future.

However, as the service is full almost every night, the council are hoping to run the programme all year round, instead of only in the winter months as the need is high.

Mandy Stitt, rough sleeping co-ordinator at Preston City Council said: “We are beginning to see some successes but the biggest challenge is finding another place for the night service.”

The Foxton Centre call for ‘working together’

Described by Sir Mark as “inspiring” Jeff Marsh, chief executive of The Foxton Centre amplified the need for working together to find a homelessness system that works for all.

He said: “Not one organisation can solve the crisis that we are in at the moment, we have to work together.

“Someone turned up at our day centre this morning after two and a half years in prison with no discharge policies in place.

“People are discharged from hospitals with mental health issues and health problems and go straight back onto the streets.”

Jeff Marsh makes his speech at the conference.

Jeff described the “phenomenal pressure” that different agencies are under at the moment, with over 1,200 children in temporary accommodation nationally, and those discharged for institutions receiving no help – building a future crisis.

Like the other discussions, Jeff described social housing as an unpractical solution due to the huge waiting times – calling on the government to build 90,000 new homes by next year.

How The Spires run by Gateway is helping

Louise Mattinson, from the Community Gateway Association, took the floor to discuss their involvement in supporting homelessness in Preston through accommodation pathways.

The rough sleeping initiative was one of the projects they helped with, receiving referrals from the council and providing accommodation and ‘wrap-around support’ for up to 40 single people and couples in flats throughout the city.

The association also run The Spires, a step-up accommodation for the homeless and those at risk, providing a three-year stay at Maudland Bank.

The Spires accommodation in Maudland Bank, Preston.

The project was described as a “great success” supporting people with life skills training, support to get into work and access to round-the-clock support.

They are currently managing 45 people at risk of homelessness and not able to access social housing, helping those with varying levels of support needs move to a general needs tenancy.

The group are also looking for an additional scheme to help families at risk of homelessness, hoping to receive crowdfunding for 16 additional properties.

Is there hope for the future?

“The current government planned to end homelessness by 2024. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think we are in 2024 and things are going in the wrong direction” said Mike Amesbury MP.

“If they don’t do the right thing Labour will do the right thing.”

‘The right thing’ included building 1.5 million homes over the next parliament, abolishing section 21 no-fault evictions (one of the biggest causes of homelessness) and introducing a step-change with social housing being part of the answer.

Though Mike seemed determined, there was still some scepticism in the room, with the question being asked again: “How do we know that you are going to deliver?”

He said: “What people need is a long-term plan around housing and homelessness.

“Like you, I am determined and passionate about ending homelessness.

“Together let’s build hope and let’s build houses.”

Blog Preston contacted the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for comment about rough sleeping and homelessness in Preston but received no response.

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