Event

Walsall Homelessness Prevention Conference 202419/09/2024

9:30am - 2:30pm at Manor Farm Community Association

One Walsall and Old Hall People Partnership are pleased to host Walsall’s Homelessness prevention Conference 2024 at Manor Farm.

The issue of homelessness continues to be part of our national discourse. 

Stark government statutory national homelessness figures released in April 2024 showed: 

• 112,660 households were homeless and living in temporary accommodation at the end of 2023 – another record high figure and up 12% in a year.   
• 317,430 households were accepted as either homeless or at imminent risk of it by their council, last year – the highest number since records began, and up 9% on the previous year. 
• The loss of a private tenancy remains the leading cause of homelessness in England.  
• A record 25,910 households were threatened with homelessness as a result of a Section 21 no fault eviction in 2023. Section 21 evictions are a major contributor to rising homelessness because they allow landlords to evict tenants without giving a reason, and only two months’ notice.   
• 145,800 children are homeless and living in temporary accommodation with their families – the highest on record and up 19,460 (15%) in a year. 

We know that there are lots of interrelated reasons that can lead to someone becoming vulnerable and being at risk of or experiencing homelessness.  These might relate to the lack of housing, poor health, poverty and unemployment; and other life events which push people into homelessness.

In addition, people can face homelessness when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. There are also people experiencing homelessness who have been asked to leave by family and friends or they have escaped a violent or abusive relationship.

Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent.

And for many, life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse put people under considerable strain. Being homeless can, in turn, make many of these problems even harder to resolve. 

In Walsall, this half day Homelessness Prevention conference will take the opportunity this year to focus in around 2 key areas:

• The Private Rented sector 
• Homelessness Prevention for key groups

With a strong ethos around partnership working, the conference aims to bring together voices from the council, health, the Voluntary & Community sectors and the housing field together to discuss and explore ways to collaborate around this important work, sharing best practice and promoting effective ways of working.

The conference will include keynote speakers, a Q&A panel discussion and an opportunity for delegates to take part in a breakout session.

The conference agenda will be shared soon, but in the meanwhile please think about questions you might want to pose to the Panel – feel free to send those to support@onewalsall.org prior to the event. 

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