Archived press release

Date Published: 19/12/07

Aylesbury Vale District Council has secured more than £90,000 in grant funding from the government to tackle homelessness. The council will receive £31,000 a year over the next three years to continue with projects and services to hel...

Aylesbury Vale District Council has secured more than £90,000 in grant funding from the government to tackle homelessness.

The council will receive £31,000 a year over the next three years to continue with projects and services to help reduce the number of homeless people in the district.

This is the first time the council has been awarded the grant for a three year period, which will also help councillors and officers to plan for the longer-term rather than commissioning services on a year by year basis.

The money is part of government plans to help councils reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by 50 per cent and end the use of bed and breakfast for 16 and 17 year olds by 2010.

AVDC has a robust homelessness strategy which includes a number of measures to tackle the levels of homelessness within the district. The council has an excellent track record reducing the number of homeless acceptances from 111 in 2002/3 to 59 in 2006/7.

The council also provides an excellent housing advice service for people who may be facing the prospect of homelessness. Together with the Citizens Advice Bureau, the council’s staff helped 227 people to avoid becoming homeless in the last financial year (2006/7).

Those who are intentionally homeless, or not in a priority need due to their age or vulnerability, are placed on the council’s housing register and given advice about where they might be able to stay while waiting to be housed. For example, more than 50 households a year are helped to rent in the private sector, with a rent guarantee and advice on housing benefit.

AVDC is investing nearly £4.5 million, plus providing land to the Bromford Housing Group, to replace the Aylesbury New Lodge homelessness hostel. The new accommodation, called Griffin Place, will provide 105 purpose built rooms and flats, including three ‘family crash pads’ (a double bedroom, two single beds and a kitchen and shower), which will be available for families requiring immediate housing.

Bromford Housing Group is due to open the first 60 family flats and 12 shared flats in March 2008. Phase two will consist of a further 20 flats for single people, and should be completed by March 2009.

In addition, there will be accommodation for 36 single homeless people aged between 16 and 49 at a new housing scheme being built off Oxford Road in Aylesbury. The Guinness Trust is developing the scheme with funding from the council. 

AVDC is currently reviewing its homelessness strategy to ensure future schemes best meet local needs. Residents were invited to share their views on homelessness as part of a consultation exercise during the summer. The feedback gathered will help inform the revised homelessness strategy which will be presented to the council's decision-making cabinet next year.

Councillor Michael Edmonds, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “We are grateful to the government for this award which recognises Aylesbury Vale’s continuing commitment to addressing homelessness. This guarantee of funding for a three year period will help us to sustain existing prevention services, especially the Private Rent Guarantee Scheme, and allow enhanced forward planning of new schemes to help reduce homelessness and achieve better outcomes for those who do experience homelessness.”

AVDC always encourages anyone who is homeless, or threatened with homelessness, to contact the council’s housing needs and advice team on 01296 585858. This helps the council to understand what the true need is, and to give advice on what help is available.

Further information about housing and homelessness is available on the council’s website at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk under Your Home. The website gives details of accommodation advice and support agencies and provides a link to the Citizens Advice Bureau advice guide website.