A leading feature of the ‘Housing First Hub’ technology will be the unique opportunity it presents to efficiently connect and engage inter-sector professionals and organisations, both locally and nationally, who are acting with shared goals, under the same guidelines and may be looking to partner on a project. In practice, this will mean a reputable landlord can easily connect with a highly-trained or accredited ‘SPI’ letting agent, or a local charity could offer an accredited property provider a volunteer-led support package, in return for the permanent placement of their service users.
‘Social Property Investors’ – as examples, local authorities, housing associations, financial contributors, landlords, letting agents, local charities, paid or voluntary support workers, probation officers, work placement programmes, credit unions or local food banks – can be led to create mini-teams of respondents who provide unique and bespoke combinations of accommodation and practical support to a person (or persons) in need.
The provision of facilities, as well as responsibility for operational management and tenant care, is divided between parties, who each contribute within their own specialism, or by the provision of an asset. One may provide the home, the other, support to assist the tenant in sustainability success. There may be an agreement established to divide rental profits in order to provide an enhanced level of service user intervention and holistic care.
Registrant processes will promote the accumulation of an extensive database of approved accommodation suppliers; those who will feed the internal support community with good-quality, affordable accommodation. With financial investors accessing procedural guidance which focuses on maximising profit and costeffectiveness and mitigating and minimising risk, there is a degree of flexibility in application criteria and business terms. Similarly, our concurrent database of support providers will operate under the same, centralised best-practice framework. Continuity and a centralised way of working will enable the safeguarding of all members of consortiums formed; occupants and service users, as well as both their housing and support providers.
Local authority councils in England will become registrants of the ‘Housing First Hub’ in order to access its exclusive database of accredited service providers. This will afford public servants controlled access to varied options when fully obliging their duty of care and looking to house homeless individuals or households within permanent, safe accommodations. The platform will allow institutions the option to identify small, medium and large-scale property holders or providers, financial investors, project sponsors or corporate partners, presenting the freedom to create bespoke, long-term or ongoing arrangements that could supplement new creation of affordable housing stock, on a mass-scale.
Copyright © by Amy.F.Varle, January 2018.
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
The views and opinions expressed in this report and its content are those of the author and not of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, which has no responsibility or liability for any part of the report.
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