Lessons need to be learned about the pressure put on housing staff in the response to Covid-19, says Catherine May.
This autumn will see the publication of the third and final report produced by Tyfu Tai Cymru which describes the experiences of housing professionals from local authorities in Wales working before and during the Covid 19 pandemic.
This unique study details how local authorities supported people from homelessness into accommodation and many staff made the move to working from home in record time. Our report also details the opportunities and challenges that developed during this time when it became clearer than ever that people’s homes are central to their health and wellbeing.
In each of our reports we asked people about their drive to work in the housing sector and they continued to tell us about their aspirations to help people and communities, and that they think housing is a priority for their local authority. However, respondents told us they have concerns about failings in the system, relating to the lack of land and capacity.
They are concerned about ensuring people have permanent accommodation to move onto after being temporary housed during the Covidovid-19 pandemic.
When asked about overcoming homelessness, respondents identified concerns that local housing allowance rate caps combined with high private rental rates means more people being priced out of local areas.
The most concerning finding is that over 75 per cent of responses told us that they felt their mental wellbeing had decreased since January 2020, and that workload pressure was a key factor. People also identified lockdown measures, poorer physical health, home schooling, worsening relationships with colleagues and working from home as having negatively impacted on their mental health.
We asked participants, ‘Has your local authority done a good job in responding to Covid-19?’
Participants responded positively to this question with many stating how proactive their local authority was in response to Covid-19. The supply of emergency accommodation and support was highlighted as a positive and timely response. Participants described how they had created strong relationships with their tenants and improved partnerships through the pandemic.
Although most participants found that their local authority responded well to Covid-19 in providing housing and support, people told us that they felt that services had become overstretched which had a detrimental effect on staff members and their mental health, leaving some feeling exhausted.
When supporting people experiencing homelessness, respondents told us found that offering a person-centered approach was a great flexible way of working and that this approach should be used. It was also highlighted that more accommodation is needed, and that the accommodation offered needs to be better. Participants highlighted how barriers decreased as the government eased policies and provided financial support for those that needed it throughout Covid-19.
Our key learning is that it is critical that lessons are taken on board about the pressures put on staff in housing departments in local government during the pandemic and better preparedness should be instilled throughout housing departments.
Catherine May is Tyfu Tai Cymru project manager