The TDS Charitable Foundation has partnered with the homelessness charity DENS to develop a project which will improve access to the private rented sector in Dacorum (where the TDS headquarters is located) for people experiencing homelessness.
The project will bring together the work of DENS in tackling poverty, homelessness and social exclusion in Dacorum, and the TDS Charitable Foundation’s aim to improve the private rented sector.
As in the rest of the UK, homelessness rates are rising in Dacorum. The shortage of social housing means that the private rented sector must play a role in tackling homelessness and meeting housing need. However, people on a low income or in receipt of benefits can struggle to access private rented accommodation. The project, which is still in the development stage, will seek to work together with landlords and offer tenants’ pre-tenancy training to help people in need find a home in the private rented sector.
Evidence base
The development of this project is being informed by a report published by the TDS Charitable Foundation in April 2024, which assessed the current level of housing need and the state of the private rented sector in Dacorum. The report suggested possible interventions that could be introduced to tackle homelessness, support vulnerable renters in the borough and improve access to, and security in, private rented accommodation. It consulted with stakeholders, including the local council and voluntary organisations such as Dacorum Foodbank, Community Action Dacorum, Liberty Tea Rooms and Christians Against Poverty, who all provide relevant services. The report also engaged with local people with lived experience of homelessness, who have lived or would like to live in private accommodation in Dacorum.
The proposed project will, therefore, align with the TDS Charitable Foundation’s ambition to develop funded projects based on research and evidence.