Housing Monthly Diary Archive

Hostels & Foyers

Return To The HMD Archive Index

July 1998
Foyers Update

• Four foyers became the first to achieve accredited foyer status, ahead of the introduction of a wider accreditation scheme scheduled for the Autumn. The four to receive the award from Housing Minister Hilary Armstrong at the Foyer Federation's Annual Conference were

Braintree Foyer (Essex);

Camberwell Foyer (London);

Sleaford Foyer (Lincolnshire); and

Richmond YMCA Rural Foyer (N Yorkshire).

• A partnership of 12 organisations, led by Beacon HA and Slough BC, saw their new Slough and Thames Valley Foyer officially opened by Gordon Brown.

• A new study on foyer occupancy from the Foyer Federation claimed that a quarter of the foyers in Britain have void rates of 10% or more. The report blamed poor siting of some foyer developments and seasonal variations as factors contributing to the situation.

Values and Viability: Foyer Federation, 146-148 Clerkenwell Rd, London, EC1R 5DP: £10.

• In the wake of the Foyer Federation's report on occupancy came the news that Link HA's 44- bed Kirkaldy Foyer in Fife, which was developed at a cost of £2 million, had been operating at half capacity since it opened some two years ago. Over-estimation of potential demand for foyer accommodation in the area and rent levels were seen as causes of the problem.

• A review of Scotland's first three pilot foyers by Stirling University for Scottish Homes was positive about the benefits of foyers, but argued for revenue funding support to make them more affordable for young people making the move from benefits to low income work.

The Development of Foyers in Scotland: Scottish Homes, 91 Haymarket Terrace, Edinburgh, EH12 3HE: Free.

September 1998
Aberdeen Foyer Project

Scottish Housing Minister, Calum MacDonald, opened the residential part of Aberdeen's foyer project, the £2.4 million Trinity Court development, providing housing for up to 27 vulnerable young people, to include 4 single-parent households. The building, on the site of a former church, includes rented flats and a ground floor restaurant/gallery, which is due to open early in 1999.

The scheme development partners included Grampian HA, Scottish Homes, Aberdeen CC, Grampian Health Care Trust, Aberdeen College, Grampian Careers and the Scottish Office. Scottish Homes provided £850,000 in funding for the project, which is based at 2 locations - Trinity Court (the residential part) and the Marywell Centre, which opened early last year.

The Marywell Centre offers training opportunities for young people and provides them with career guidance. 4,500 young people visited the centre in its first eighteen months.

December 1998
Foyer News in Brief

• Grosvenor HA opened its third centre for young people making the transition to independent living. The Bridge Foyer, located in the Old Port area of Chester, has 31 beds and offers the use of an information technology suite and training rooms.

• English Partnerships agreed a £150,000 cash injection towards the £2.5 million costs of the Isle of Wight's foyer project in Ryde, being developed by Medina HA. The foyer is eventually due to provide accommodation for 45 young people, as well as on-site training and support.

January 1999
Accreditation Awards

The Foyer Federation has appointed an independent panel to take responsibility for awarding accreditation status to about 30 foyer projects this year. Foyers applying for accreditation are to be assessed on their standards in management control and quality assurance.

A pilot project during 1998 saw five foyers awarded accredited foyer status - Braintree, Camberwell, Sedgemore YMCA, Sleaford and Richmond YMCA Rural. Accredited foyer status is seen by some as a development that will become integral to new foyer projects and an aspect that, in the future, will be a consideration in deciding funding options and proposals.

March 1999
News In Brief

• English Partnerships is investing nearly £232,000 towards the Salvation Army HA foyer scheme in Morecambe, funding the redevelopment of 4 properties to provide 25 flats and office space.

• Marks & Spencer made a £20,000 donation to the YMCA foyer in Dartford, to provide equipment and furniture. The foyer was due to open towards the end of Summer 1999.

April 1999
News in Brief

• The first stone of the Foyer for the Island in Ryde was laid. The foyer, which will be managed by Medina Housing and Care, will provide accommodation, training and employment links for 45 younger residents on the Isle of Wight.

• Work started on the new £2 million partnership scheme in Chichester, where Warden HA and Chichester DC are converting an old care home into new accommodation and a training centre for 55 young people.

August 1999
Need for HMO Definition

The Appeal Court ruled that a home occupied by nine single people is a house in multiple occupation and, therefore, it is subject to the fire safety and other requirements provided for under the Housing Act 1985. The appeal was brought by Islington LBC with the support of 17 other housing and health bodies. It overturned a previous County Court ruling that the building was in single occupation because of joint arrangements between tenants.

The Appeal Judges' ruling emphasised that there is no definitive checklist that can be used in defining an HMO. However, factors such as the size of the property and the ratio of bedrooms to other rooms are significant in making a decision. Similarly, whether tenants took up a tenancy as a group, or as individuals, is an important consideration.

Whilst the ruling was widely welcomed, it has also hardened the call for the Government to include an HMO definition in its forthcoming Housing Green Paper. Without such a clear definition, it was feared that some landlords would continue to cut costs by finding loopholes in legislation.

Return To The HMD Archive Index