Bristol Foundation Housing
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© Licensed to London News Pictures. 18/10/2013. Bristol, UK. Picture of Michael Phelps, a resident with Bristol Foundation Housing, outside City Hall to present a statement on behalf of the Bristol Foundation Housing Residents Association (BFHRA) to Bristol City Council's Resources Scrutiny Committee. Bristol Foundation Housing residents are threatened with being made homeless as 7 out of 9 hostels run by the housing charity are threatened with closure. BFH has gone into administration after a disagreement with Bristol City Council over levels of housing benefit for the Exempt Accommodation which enables the network of 9 BFH hostels to provide staffing and the high level of support that these vulnerable residents need. The BFHRA statement says that some of the residents feel desperate and that they will end up dead or in prison. The Council carried out a review of BFH but the residents do not think the team were skilled in assessing their needs and the review which contained some personal information was not shared with the charity or residents but given to the media. BFHRA say that Bristol City Council is ideologically opposed to Exempt Accommodation, will not negotiate with BFH and uses the tribunal service for Exempt Accommodation more than any other local authority. Other large city councils have been looking at cutting exempt accommodation costs and Bristol is one of the first to take action. 18 October 2013.
Photo credit : Simon Chapman/LNP
