Approach

Progress

Our achievements to date include:

  • Successful implementation of the Supporting People programme in April 2003. In 2007-08 housing support services worth nearly £60 million in funding will be provided to around 18,000 vulnerable people in our society.

  • Research relating to health and housing is now an integral part of our annual research programme.

  • Development of the Homelessness Strategy and Homeless action plans. In 2007-08 several new initiatives focusing on the prevention of homelessness and maintaining a tenancy will be introduced, e.g. a tenant floating support service, a family mediation service, a debt counselling service through the Citizen's Advice Bureau and a prisoner advice service.

  • Adaptations in both social and private housing continue to play a significant part in enabling people to remain independent in their own homes.

  • Expansion of our Community Safety Team to reflect the application of its new statutory powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, including in-house mediation services and the appointment of 54 neighbourhood wardens.

  • A community cohesion unit has been established to lead out our Good Relations Strategy.

  • We participate in all Investing for Health Partnerships, Health Action Zones and Healthy Cities programmes.

  • We are responding to the Home Accident Prevention Strategy, addressing home safety issues through a number of pilot schemes.

  • Since 2003 we have been very proactive in dealing with the housing support and care needs of the travellers' community.

  • Through our rural policy ‘Places for People’ we are contributing to independent rural living, particularly for those more vulnerable households.

  • In partnership with other agencies we are tackling fuel poverty through our heating upgrading and energy efficiency programmes.

For more information see "Housing Matters", our Housing and Health Review. You can also read an example of how we worked with the Northern Investing for Health Community programme to develop a health community programme in the Case Studies section of this site.