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Homelessness

Housing services responded quickly and effectively to the COVID-19 outbreak. Our advice and emergency support services were adapted with a digital approach to address the effects of the pandemic.

New housing solutions were rapidly procured in partnership with the Greater London Authority in response to the rough sleeper need and the ‘Everyone In’ initiative. This has provided a unique opportunity to undertake needs assessments and work with individuals whilst they are supported with their housing. The service is committed to working with individuals to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to move into secure housing, and has access to longer-term support.

The lessons learned have led the service to fortify digital methods as an ongoing route for resident.
The allocations policy that determines who moves into social housing was suspended and an emergency policy implemented so that the service could prioritise those most vulnerable into safe accommodation. Our most vulnerable residents in supported housing were moved into self-contained settings, and health screening was put in place for all new entrants into the Supported Housing Pathway scheme. Despite the ban on evictions, our rogue landlord team prevented over 100 illegal evictions.

As a result of the way we adapted our services, since April 2020, 101 rough sleepers have been resettled into longer term accommodation, and 506 households have been helped to find their own home or move into a supported housing scheme. 

Cllr Paul Bell, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said: “The pandemic has fundamentally changed how we deliver our services and engage with communities. We are still understanding what the longer term impacts will be. As ever, our priority remains supporting the most vulnerable in our community and tackling the housing crisis.”

Supporting vulnerable people

As coronavirus cases began to escalate in the UK and the Government slowly moved towards lockdown, Lewisham’s focus was on quickly developing a system of support for those who were clinically extremely vulnerable to the virus and lockdown’s implications.

Lewisham’s central COVID-19 response hub was launched in anticipation of lockdown in partnership with Lewisham Local, Voluntary Services Lewisham, Age UK Lewisham & Southwark and Lewisham Foodbank. Over 2,000 volunteers signed up to deliver 11,000 food parcels during lockdown as well as undertaking shopping trips, doing odd jobs and providing befriending support.
The elected Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, launched a fundraiser for Lewisham Foodbank which raised over £150,000. Volunteers who signed up through the hub were also matched to Lewisham Foodbank, where demand had increased by over 150 per cent on the previous year. Lewisham Council staff were also redeployed to support Lewisham Foodbank who worked with a fantastic network of local food projects across the borough to ensure that everyone had access to the food they needed.

From the beginning, the Hub was receiving over 60 phone calls a day, peaking at 300 a day in the last week of April. The Hub ensured the provision of food parcels and essential deliveries to clinically extremely vulnerable residents who were shielded and to those who otherwise could not obtain them were signposted them to other services. Feedback from those who were supported has shown that the service met their physical need for food and also reduced their sense of isolation leading to a positive impact on their overall mental health and wellbeing. 

Cllr Jonathan Slater, Cabinet member for the community sector, said: “Lewisham has a long and proud history of working closely with the voluntary and community sector to transform lives in the local community. The coronavirus pandemic reinforced just how vital their work is and also challenged the Council to consider new ways of working and what we want to continue as part of ‘the new normal’.

Domestic abuse

Lewisham Council is committed to tackling domestic abuse in all its forms. At the start of the lockdown in March, Lewisham Council and the Athena Service, who provides support to those experiencing gender-based violence, ran a series of interactive webinars aimed at educating people on how to identify domestic abuse, and what to do if they are worried about an individual or family. The webinars were in recognition that abuse might take different forms during lockdown and were delivered to 229 local volunteers and staff that are helping to support residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included volunteers working at food banks or supporting residents that were shielding, and staff working for housing associations and for local community groups. 

By using our lessons learned both during and post lockdown, we aim to improve the way that we respond to individuals and families affected by violence and abuse, across local services and in partnership with communities. During September we have been speaking to survivors of domestic abuse to get their feedback on the improvements we need to make. All residents will have the chance to contribute their views during a public consultation that will take place later this year. The new strategy will be launched in 2021.