Bedford Borough Council paid compensation to a victim of domestic abuse after they were “unlawfully left homeless”, a meeting heard.
A question about the case from John Allen (described as a member of the public) was read out on his behalf at this week’s Housing Committee (14 June).
“The Statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance (para 21.10) requires that councils should have policies in place to identify and respond to cases of domestic abuse.
“We have previously asked the council to create a policy that would fulfil this requirement but were told that the council did not have one and simply used the Homelessness Code of Guidance to refer to.
“Earlier this year I secured compensation from the council for a victim of domestic abuse who was unlawfully left homeless and was subsequently abused by the perpetrator which required police intervention before the council did comply with its duty to house them.
“Would the committee be in favour of the council creating a policy that would meet this requirement from the Code of Guidance?”
Lee Phanco, chief officer for assessment, application and business support, said it was a “little disappointing” that this case had been raised in this manner.
“The council is the housing authority and the council does have a very comprehensive domestic abuse strategy, which sets out how the council overall will identify and respond to domestic abuse,” he said.
“The housing team has been involved in the development of that strategy, so I think it’s fair to say that the council does have that policy.
“We’re also in the process of reviewing the homelessness and rough sleeping strategy and again those requirements will be taken into account as part of that review and in the final strategy.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate to go into details of a particular case in a public meeting,” he said.
“What I can advise is that the failing in that particular case was not due to any issues around policy or an absence of a policy or anything like that.
“The council has responded appropriately in this case as soon as a failing was identified,” he said.
“And just to give an indication of the seriousness with which the housing service does take its responsibilities to people experiencing domestic abuse.
“During the last calendar year the team helped 135 people that were owed a homelessness duty because they were homeless as a result of domestic abuse,” he said.
“That was actually 19 per cent of all the cases of homelessness relief that we dealt with last year.
“So I do just want to emphasise that despite that unfortunate case the team does take their responsibilities very seriously and do help a lot of people in very difficult circumstances,” he said.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
