The Homelessness Act requires local authorities to take strategic responsibility for tackling and preventing homelessness. Prior to the formation of Dorset Council, the relevant district and borough authorities each had homeless strategies all of which are now expired. Consultants who carried out a review of the current homeless service. Data sources included this list is not exhaustive :. Elected members, stakeholders, service users and employees are committed to tackling homelessness in Dorset.
There has been broad agreement that social rented housing is the preferred housing tenure due to security and cost. There was also agreement from the review findings that the number of single people with mental and physical ill-health who are finding themselves homeless is increasing and more support to prevent and relieve homelessness is needed generally. The proportion of working age 16 to 64 unemployed in Dorset is the lowest in the benchmarking group.
Those self-employed is the highest of the benchmarking group. An increasing number of single adults with poor mental or physical health becoming homeless as well as those with drug and alcohol problems. The aged group for main applicants with the highest number of accepted prevention or relief duties is 25 to The top two reasons for loss of last settled home in Dorset is the termination of assured shorthold tenancy and family or friends no longer able to accommodate.
Dorset has the lowest number of rough sleepers compared to the benchmark group most of whom are single males. Households with dependant children are most likely to approach at a prevention or relief stage. Single households are most likely to approach when they are already homeless. There is a good range of commissioned and non-commissioned activities to prevent homelessness.
There is a strong provision for Armed Forces and former Armed Forces personnel who become homeless. The top 3 types of household in Dorset recorded as being owed a prevention duty are single parent families with dependant children; single adult males; and single adult females. The top 3 types of household in Dorset recorded as being a relief duty are single adult males; single adult females; and single parent families. The top 3 age ranges of those main applicants owed either a prevention or relief duty is years; years; and years.
