View report page

73
PREVENTION OF BREAK-UP OF FAMILIES
STANDING COMMITTEE FOR CO-ORDINATION
The Committee met quarterly, twice under the Chairmanship of the
Housing Manager, and twice under that of the Associate Town Clerk.
Throughout the year, as in 1968, a high proportion of the Committee's
time was given to the prevention of homelessness, particularly among those
families with whom multiple debt is of long standing, has often become habitual,
many of whom have already been through the homeless family cycle. Rent
arrears, even of £50 and over, are usually only one item; twice as much again is
often owed for H.P. (some of it subject to Court commital orders) and for
electricity and gas, both frequently cut off following meter rifling, sometimes
accompanied by illegal connection to main or landing supplies. The number of
these hardcore persistent debt families is increasing, just as the total number of
families who endanger their tenancies (largely through sheer irresponsibility
towards rent) increases annually. The combined figures for Lambeth Council
and Greater London Council tenants living in Lambeth who were notified to the
Committee as in danger of eviction rose from 258 in 1968 to 338 in 1969.
In July 1969 an Arrears Sub-Committee was therefore formed under the
Chairmanship of the Associate Town Clerk, consisting of Assistant Chief
Officers from the Children's, Housing and Welfare Depts., and the Principal
Nursing Officer, with the Principal Social Worker (Health Services), who is
Secretary to the Standing Committee, as Secretary. It should be noted that the
bulk of the information concerning the families discussed by the Sub-Committee
came from the health visitors and the School Care Organisation, who together
have more comprehensive records of families with dependent children than any
other service.
Powers were delegated to the Sub-Committee to arrange for both casework
and rent guarantees, and in November 1969, it was further agreed that the
Children's, Health, Housing and Welfare Departments should each, on the recommendation
of the Arrears Sub-Committee, accept five families at any one
time, in addition to their normal caseloads, specifically for intensive visiting in
the hope of establishing rent control.
The main causes for arrears have been shown to be
(a) extravagence and a poor perception of priorities on good incomes (several
families in danger of eviction were running cars, had telephones, and
carried heavy H.P. commitments on such items as washing machines, three
piece suites and, in one or two cases even fitted carpets)