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Edition 5: Tackling Homelessness

NLGN’s Leadership Index is a quarterly survey sent to all chief executives, leaders and council mayors in the UK. It provides insight into the level of confidence on key issues affecting local government.

One year on from the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA), NLGN Leadership Index April 2019 sheds light on the growing homelessness crisis facing the UK.
Key findings include:

  • Universal Credit is increasing levels of homelessness. 65 per cent of respondents agree or strongly agree that Universal Credit has led to an increase in homelessness in their council’s area. This rises to 78 per cent among London and Metropolitan Borough councils.
  • Over a quarter of conservative leaders and council mayors report that universal credit is increasing homelessness. 28 per cent of Conservative leaders and council mayors who responded to our survey report the negative impact of their Party’s own policy.
  • Councils are underfunded to fulfil their new statutory duty to prevent homelessness. 67 per cent of respondents to our survey disagree or strongly disagree that they have sufficient funding to fulfil the new statutory duty included in the HRA. This rises to 86 per cent among London and Metropolitan Borough councils.
  • 4 in 10 councils think it is unlikely or very unlikely that they will eradicate rough sleeping by 2027. Confidence is even lower in predominantly urban London and Metropolitan Borough councils, with 6 in 10 reporting a low likelihood of eradicating rough sleeping by 2027.
  • Confidence in the powers and resources to meet the needs of social services is particularly low. Councils’ confidence in their powers and resources to deliver adult social care and children’s services is 25 per cent lower than their confidence in delivering housing, environmental, economic development and health and wellbeing services.

NLGN Leadership Index survey includes 12 recurring questions across three key themes – economy, society and environment – and a series of topical questions which focus on current events affecting local government.

A full report of the results from the April 2019 survey can be downloaded HERE.


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