The government has come under increased pressure to stop housing homeless people with mental health problems in bed and breakfasts following an inquiry into the fatal stabbing of a policewoman
A damning report exposes a string of failings in one council's housing policy and calls for more research into the housing and support needs of mentally ill people.

Westminster council this week accepted the findings of the report into the circumstances surrounding the killing of PC Nina Mackay, who was stabbed by 30-year-old mental health patient Magdi Elgizouli in 1997.

The inquiry tore into Westminster's predilection for housing vulnerable people in crowded bed and breakfast accommodation outside the borough, the sale of essential housing stock and time taken to assess housing need.

Even though Elgizouli was diagnosed and treated for paranoid schizophrenia and regarded as someone in priority need, his assessment took more than 90 days. At times he was housed several miles away from his GP in hotels crammed with other vulnerable people.

The inquiry report simply concludes: "Actions could have been taken which could have changed the course of events. The risk of harm to others was predictable."

Alleging that the council allocates and sells homes to those who are "a much lower priority", it adds: "Given the exceptionally high demand from homeless applicants in Westminster and the cost in human and financial terms of emergency accommodation, it seems timely to review the current allocation policy."

Westminster's Labour opposition social services spokesman Barrie Taylor said: "The continuing calls by some Tory councillors to "ship out" homeless people from Westminster will need to stop, before any progress can be made."

The council said procedures had been revised to avoid another tragedy, and pledged to work with the Department of Health's review of mental health in London.

In a statement, Westminster insisted: "Bed and breakfast accommodation has to be used and is in short supply in inner London because of the demand. National solutions are needed for the homelessness issues currently being tackled by individual London boroughs."

Source

Housing Today