Homelessness
According to statutory homelessness figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in Quarter 4 2022/23 415 households in Rochdale were identified as being owed a prevention or duty relief, of which 118 households were assessed as homeless and 296 threatened with homelessness.
Over the same time period, 202 households were in temporary accommodation equating to 2.12 households per 1,000. An annual snapshot of rough sleepers is taken in autumn and in 2022 found 5 people sleeping rough in Rochdale. The snapshot records only those people seen, or thought to be, sleeping rough on a single night so is likely an undercount of the true number.
The JSNA approach to inequality
One of the key components of the JSNA is to identify inequalities in health and wellbeing experienced by different population groups in the local authority area.
We're often reliant on research and studies at a national level in order to identify examples of these inequalities. The findings are then applied to our population structure and added to our own local evidence in order to understand the inequalities present in these populations at a local level.
Rochdale Borough Council approach to homelessness
Rochdale Borough Council focuses its homelessness services on a housing options approach, seeking to resolve housing issues and prevent homelessness rather than devote efforts to resource sapping statutory assessments.
While all households with children up to 16 years old will fall into a priority group, we aim wherever possible to resolve housing issues to prevent homelessness and, as such, the actual number of children affected by the risk of homelessness is never truly reflected in the statistics.
Statistics on homelessness
- Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government - Homelessness statistics - this collection contains statistics on statutory homelessness, rough sleeping and homelessness prevention and relief.
Guidance and information on homelessness
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) - Homeless adults with complex needs evidence review - an overview of the homeless situation across England with insights into the current evidence base to support action to prevent and reduce homelessness.
- Rochdale Borough Council - Homelessness and prevention - All homelessness services are now being provided by Rochdale Borough Council, having been previously provided by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing.