Legal News

Croydon Council has secured £1.4 million to help with tackling homelessness in the borough.

The council was awarded funding from the Rough Sleeping Grant and the Homeless Prevention Trailblazers funds, following two bids to the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), which outlined ambitious proposals tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

The borough has a strong track record among local authorities as a trailblazer for its groundbreaking approach to preventing homelessness, particularly through the Gateway project.

When it first launched last year, Croydon’s Gateway division became the first combined council department in the country – covering housing, benefits, debt management and social care assessment – to support families affected by the government welfare reforms, such as the benefit cap and Universal Credit.

To date, the project has helped more than 1,000 families avoid homelessness, as well as 5,400 to become more financially independent –
and has also helped more than 600 people into employment.

The council says that, over the next four years, a total of £400,000 will be dedicated to helping rough sleepers get off the borough’s streets and get their lives back on track.

Working closely with local partners in the third and voluntary sector, the council will focus on quickly identifying those new or at imminent risk of rough sleeping – and will establish a new, dedicated 24/7 shelter, with direct access to welfare services, while doubling the hours and extending the reach of outreach work.

A further £1m will be spent on preventing homelessness among some of those most vulnerable to losing their homes, building on the work of Croydon Council’s successful Gateway project.

The funding will help the service to continue its work to identify and target families hit hardest by the government’s welfare reforms and subsequently at risk of losing their homes – offering a range of services, including debt management and social care assessment.

Through targeted work with individuals, their families and the schools, services will attempt to get clients on a career path, making them less vulnerable to homelessness in the future.

Leader of Croydon Council, Councillor Tony Newman, said:

“These are challenging times for thousands of families and individuals in our borough impacted by the benefit cap and universal credit – and at risk of losing their home because they cannot afford the rent.

“We also have an increasing number of people sleeping rough on the streets, a worrying proportion of whom have mental health issues or are young people under 35.

“In Croydon, a higher percentage of these are local people than in other areas in London.

“I am pleased that the government has recognised Croydon’s determination to help these people and prevent homelessness, transforming the way we work through innovation.

“We welcome this investment – and hope this will enable us to help many more thousands of families and individuals facing the prospect of losing their home; and to get those sleeping rough off of the streets and access to the services that can help them get their lives back on track.”

Duncan Lewis Housing Solicitors

Duncan Lewis housing solicitors can advise on a wide range of housing law, including advising developers and self builders on planning permissions and planning appeals.

There are Duncan Lewis offices across England and Wales and our housing team is also able to advise on:

• Debt management for homeowners


• Disrepair of rented property


• Housing Benefit


• Housing possession


• Landlords’ obligations


• Landlord and tenant disputes


• Lease extensions


• Local Authority housing


• Mortgage repossession


• Notice to quit


• Nuisance neighbours


• Right to Buy


• Right to Rent checks


• Tenancy agreements


• Unlawful eviction.