Lewes District Council calls on government to end housing and homelessness crisis

Passed unanimously at a meeting of Full Council on Monday 30 September 2024, a five-point plan appeals to the government to: establish a new fair and sustainable Housing Revenue Account model - including an urgent one-off cash injection, and long-term, certain rent and debt agreements; reform unsustainable Right to Buy policies, including phasing them out altogether; remove red tape on existing funding; announce a new, long-term green and decent homes programme; fund the completion of new council homes.

The motion was submitted by Councillor Lucy Agace. She said:

"The financial model for England's council housing system is broken. Capped income, unfunded new requirements and soaring costs have decimated council housing budgets. We want to invest in desperately needed new council properties, ensure our repairs and maintenance service is robust, and make our existing homes more energy efficient. But without critical changes to government policy, it will be impossible for us and other councils to achieve all our aims."

Lewes District Council is one of 100 councils that has already written to the government calling for the introduction of fairer funding for temporary accommodation by removing the cap based on the 2011 Local Housing Allowance rate. These councils say the new mechanism should: fund 90% of the actual cost for 2023/24 until the long-term strategy to end homelessness is developed; give a three-year Homelessness Prevention Grant allocation; and review the formula to ensure it is targeted to those that have the biggest demand linked to those who can show they are working in line with good practice. The grant allocation also needs to reflect the increased costs of preventing and relieving homelessness, review Local Housing Allowances annually, and continue and enhance Discretionary Housing Payment funding to help homeless prevention activity.

Councillor Zoe Nicholson, Leader of Lewes District Council, said:

"It is critical that we provide a safety net for people, but the financial impact is putting that safety net at great risk of failing. The current system leaves about 80% of the cost of temporary accommodation to be funded by local authorities.  This is disproportionate and unsustainable. Many councils are impacted but large cities and coastal towns, such as our sister authority Eastbourne Borough Council, are particularly hard hit."

The motion passed by Lewes District Council resolves to:

1. Require the Leader of the Council to write to local members of parliament to inform them that this motion has been passed and urge them to raise this issue with the government and support our call for changes to be made to the way both council housing and homelessness services are funded.
2. Continue to work with partner councils to lobby government for the changes required, taking a collaborative approach to better highlight the issues we all face.
3. Continue raising awareness of the challenges, and our calls for government action, in local media.

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