UK Resilience
Last updated: 28 October 2008
There are numerous examples of displaced communities brought on by flooding emergencies in the UK. In almost all cases, displaced families required assistance with accommodation for 6 to 12 months, while homes dried out and were refurbished or rebuilt.
An extreme example is Hurricane Katrina in the United States in 2005. Evacuees fled to all states across the US during the hurricane event, although some 75% are believed to have stayed within 250 miles of New Orleans. In the neighbouring state of Texas, an estimated 250,000 evacuees tried to move into state identified refuges. Capacity in shelters was over-stretched. Even today many evacuees, scattered throughout the United States, have not returned to their homes.
Other examples of incidents leading to the displacement of communities include the Buncefield oil depot explosion and the Birmingham tornado.
In general, it can be useful to plan to the following assumptions (based on emergencies prior to 2005):
However, figures may vary significantly from these depending on the scale and nature of the emergency, and the make-up of the community. For example, after the Carlisle flooding in January 2005, those made homeless were out of their homes for an even more extended time-scale:
It is therefore important that local responders are familiar with the make-up of their communities – the ‘Profile’ section of the Community Risk Register may be a good starting point for this.
Part 7 of the Housing Act 1966, known as “the homelessness legislation”, provides a strong safety net (in England and Wales) for people who become homeless through no fault of their own and who fall within various ‘priority need’ groups (eg. families with children). Local authorities have a duty to secure suitable accommodation until a settled home becomes available. The legislation is not principally designed to deal with emergencies but there is specific provision that means authorities will have a duty to secure accommodation for most people who become homeless as a result of an emergency such as flood, fire or other disaster.
Communities and Local Government (CLG), jointly with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department of Health (DH), has issued statutory guidance to local authorities in England about how they should discharge their homelessness functions. The Homelessness Code of Guidance to Local Authorities (which applies only to England) was issued in July 2006 but does not include any guidance for authorities on dealing with the impact of a large scale emergency.
There are references to the homelessness legislation in the Evacuation and Shelter guidance, issued by the Cabinet Office in October 2006.
For guidance on dealing with non-resident UK nationals' evacuated from overseas who require housing assistance, please see the Non-Resident UK Nationals returning from Overseas Emergencies topic sheet.
During displacement, other practicalities, such as the redirection of mail, will need to be considered. Emergency Royal Mail redirection can be set up through contacting Royal Mail Customer Services, their local Post Office branch or going online to www.royalmail.com. In the longer term, customers can opt to collect mail from the local delivery office.
In previous incidents, there have been requests to forward mail to emergency or humanitarian assistance centres. It is important to note that this is not an option due to the lack of security at these sites.
The Code of Guidance for Local Authorities on Allocation of Accommodation and Homelessness gives guidance on how local authorities should discharge their functions and apply the various statutory criteria in practice. It is not a substitute for legislation and in so far as it comments on the law can only reflect the Assembly Government’s understanding of the provisions and the decisions of the courts on the provisions at the time of issue. Decisions on allocations and homelessness should always take account of the guidance in this Code, as they can be challenged unless the authority can show that this has been done. Housing authorities will need to be familiar with the statutory provisions, and keep up to date on any developments in case law.
The Scottish Executive has issued statutory guidance to local authorities on how they should discharge their duties under homelessness legislation. The Code of Guidance on Homelessness was published in May 2005 and is available on the Scottish executive website [External website].
The legislation places statutory duties on local authorities to provide assistance to people experiencing homelessness or threatened with homelessness (within 2 months). The legislation is not principally designed to deal with emergency planning but all homeless households are entitled to a minimum of temporary accommodation, advice and assistance and those in ‘priority need’ groups and unintentionally homeless are entitled to permanent accommodation. The Code does not include any guidance on dealing with the impact of a large scale emergency.
The Health and Social Care Trusts are responsible for providing immediate short-term care for people displaced by an emergency. Provision of accommodation for the long-term homeless is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE).
The NIHE annually review and publish ‘Operational Procedures for Displaced Families’, which provides guidance on arrangements for situations in Northern Ireland where people are displaced from their homes.
As set out in chapter 5 of Evacuation and Shelter, local authorities are responsible for co-ordinating welfare support for their communities in the event of an emergency.
This will include providing temporary shelter (rest centres) and meeting any need for temporary accommodation where evacuation is extended. Local authority emergency planners will need to draw on contacts and resources across the responding agencies, voluntary sector and private/commercial organisations.
Statutory responsibility for assisting people who are homeless, or likely to become homeless within 28 days, rests with local housing authorities. Housing authorities are required to have a strategy for ensuring that accommodation and support will be available for people in their district who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, and are expected to work closely with a wide range of other bodies, including social services and the voluntary sector, to deliver this.
Local authorities (both housing and social services authorities), registered social landlords and housing trusts have a duty to co-operate in providing assistance, on request, where a housing authority seeks help to discharge its homelessness functions – insofar as is reasonable in the circumstances. In some areas, the housing authority may have contracted-out the management of some or all of its homelessness functions (for example, to a registered social landlord).
Communities and Local Government (CLG) has policy responsibility for homelessness in England. However, responsibility for responding to homelessness on the ground rests with local housing authorities, and CLG has no formal role other than to set national policy, oversee the strategic framework, and provide guidance to local authorities.
There are no differences in Wales.
In Scotland, the statutory duty to assist households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness rests with local authorities. National policy responsibility for homelessness rests with the Housing and Regeneration Directorate of the Scottish Executive.
The Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs) have primary responsibility for providing for the welfare needs of displaced communities. For short-term displacements, the HSCTs will work with district councils and other providers of temporary accommodation to provide immediate shelter and other basic needs. The HSCTs will also work with the voluntary sector to provide both practical and psycho-social support.
For longer term displacements, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has statutory responsibility for accommodating homeless people. NIHE would work closely with HSCTs to move people as quickly as possible from temporary shelters to more permanent accommodation if a displacement seemed likely to be prolonged.
Displaced people may be eligible for Social Fund or other support from the Social Security Agency (SSA). The SSA would work closely with other responders to provide information and assist with claims.
For events with Regional significance, the overall lead government department would depend on the cause and impact of the emergency. NI departments with policy responsibility for HSCTs (Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety) and NIHE/SSA (Department for Social Development) would provide support and co-ordination within their sectors as required.
The principal source of funding for local authority homelessness services is provided through unhypothecated block grant (revenue support grant). There is also a limited programme of homelessness grants paid to local authorities to support and encourage their work to prevent homelessness.
In Wales, local authorities are also funded through Revenue Support Grant and a range of homelessness grants made by the Welsh Assembly Government
Local authorities in Scotland receive grant funding from the Scottish Executive to prevent and tackle homelessness. This funding is intended to support local authorities' discharge of their statutory responsibilities and delivery of their homelessness strategies and does not include provision for dealing with large-scale emergencies. The Scottish Executive will consider any requests for additional funding on a case by case basis but it must be made clear that such cases are not guaranteed to be successful.
Funding for homeless services in Northern Ireland is provided from the Department for Social Development to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE). Any unexpected expenditure as a result of an emergency would in the first instance be the responsibility of the NIHE, which if necessary would have to bid to DSD for additional funding through normal public expenditure mechanisms.
Financial support for individuals
Repairs to domestic properties
Access to and security of sites
Economic and business recovery
Non-resident UK Nationals returning from overseas emergencies
Carlisle flooding: 8 January 2005
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