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Pioneering partnership between health authority and local council will help single homeless people

A pioneering new scheme to help the single homeless register with a GP has got underway in North London.

Enfield Council and Enfield and Haringey Family Health Services Authority (FHSA) have teamed up to underwrite the deposits on flats for single homeless people.

Rent Deposit Guarantee Schemes have been set up by a few other councils, but, according to charities for the homeless, this is the first time an FHSA and a local council have worked in partnership to highlight the effects of homelessness on health. The FHSA will monitor the outcome of the new scheme.

Sue Tokley, Primary Care Community Manager at the FHSA said: ‘By funding this scheme, the FHSA hopes that single homeless people and others not in priority need are assisted in getting proper access to primary health care. We hope to address the health problems of sleeping rough or living in unsuitable temporary accommodation and to prevent them.’

At the end of July, the first person to benefit from the scheme was handed the keys to his flat. Under the scheme, Enfield Council agree to pay the landlord up to a month’s rent if the tenant causes any damage to the property. It also agrees to ensure housing benefit is paid as quickly as possible to the landlord for the tenant until he or she finds a job.

Homeless people often find it almost impossible to register with a GP since they do not have a fixed address. This forces them to rely on hospital emergency services for primary health care or to simply neglect their health entirely.

In the 1980s, the government changed the procedure whereby single homeless people could have their rent paid in advance through housing benefit.

The homeless charity Centrepoint welcomed the FHSA/Council partnership. ‘It is an excellent and very worthwhile initiative. It should be encouraged,’ said a spokeswoman.

Shelter also welcomed the scheme for single homeless people, but said such schemes should not be extended to homeless families. They called for families to be given permanent accommodation.

Enfield is currently considering another 12 homeless people for the scheme, although funding is limited.