To seek Cabinet’s approval of a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 - 31.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)     formally adopts the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 – 2031;

(b)     authorises the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for housing to make amendments to the strategy, if needed, after it is adopted; and

(c)     requests that the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Planning provide an annual update to Cabinet on progress with delivering the Action Plan set out within the strategy.

Cabinet considered a report of the Housing & Planning Portfolio Holder (A.6) which sought its approval of a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-31. The Council’s current Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy had been approved in 2020 and had been a four-year strategy running until 2024.

Cabinet was cognisant that homelessness was a significant pressure for the Council, as it was for most Councils. Given this significance it was important that the Council had a clear strategy on how it intended to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in the District.

Sustained high levels of homelessness approaches had led to a high demand for temporary accommodation as the Council sought to comply with its statutory duties. Whilst privately rented accommodation was available in the District and the Council had good relationships with local landlords a general shortage of affordable housing meant that it was taking longer to move households out of temporary accommodation. This meant temporary accommodation use was increasing even though homelessness approaches had not necessarily increased in the last year or so.

It was reported that the Council’s Housing Solutions service had experienced a 104% increase in the number of households being placed in temporary accommodation between 2018/19 and 2024/25. The numbers of single homeless had risen more sharply than households with children and this had been therefore prioritised for intervention in the new strategy.

Members were informed that the strategy included three priority areas:-

(i)       improving access to services;

(ii)      working in partnership; and

(iii)    increasing options for the single homeless.

Cabinet recognised that Local Government Reorganisation made a view into the future less certain, with the knowledge that this Council would merge, on the Government’s current timetable, into a new Unitary Authority from 2028.

Cabinet noted that this strategy also aligned with the Housing Strategy 2026-30 that had been adopted by Full Council at its meeting held on 27 January 2026.

The Housing and Planning Portfolio Holder made the following statement:-

“Leader, I am pleased to introduce the proposed Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031.

This strategy comes at a time when homelessness pressures are rising both locally and nationally. As Cabinet will be aware from the previous report the challenge continues to grow. As I have said, demand on our services has increased year?on?year, the cost of temporary accommodation places significant strain on our budget, and the complexity of individual cases continues to deepen.

Against this backdrop, it is essential that we set out a clear, forward?looking and deliverable approach. The strategy before Cabinet today does exactly that.

A Strategy Grounded in Evidence and Local Need

The draft strategy has been developed following:

·      the work of the cross?party Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation Working Group,

·      updates previously reported to Cabinet, and

·      analysis of the pressures being felt across the District.

·      Consultation with partners & stakeholders

It recognises not only the scale of the challenge but also the changing nature of homelessness. The issues we face are not limited to rooflessness; they include family breakdown,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107