Housing lawyers are stretched as workload increases

Housing law solicitors are being pulled in all directions because they are expected to wear several different hats on a daily basis, the Law Society's annual housing law conference heard last week.Russell Campbell, chief solicitor at homelessness charity Shelter, told delegates that practitioners are increasingly having to take into account issues surrounding human rights, immigration, health and social services when advising clients.In particular, the growing importance of the Children Act 1989 and its obligations on local authorities to house homeless people with minors is exacerbating the situation, Mr Campbell said.'You cannot be a housing lawyer these days if you just do housing,' he warned, adding: 'If there is one thing I would like to stress today, it is how wonderful I think housing lawyers are.'Roger Hamilton, policy and legal director at the Legal Services Commission (LSC), said the LSC is hoping to ease some of the burden by changing the current one-year legal aid contracts for housing practitioners to 'rolling' contracts similar to those awarded to their criminal law counterparts.

The LSC is also investigating the potential of alternative dispute resolution and new methods of working, such as advice via e-mail, Mr Hamilton added.

'We [the LSC] are spending a lot of money, and local authorities are spending a lot of money on their lawyers,' he explained.

'What we would like to investigate is whether there is a better way of doing business.'Housing minister Sally Keeble echoed Mr Hamilton's views, saying the government is aiming for a new, streamlined vision of housing advice provision, designed to suit both clients and their solicitors.

In particular, it is investigating a simpler framework for tenure law, and faster procedures for evictions involving anti-social behaviour.'Decent housing plays a fundamental role in achieving a decent quality of life for all, and it is vital the government achieves its objectives,' she said.Paula Rohan