Agenda item

To enable the Committee to consider the draft Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy.

The Committee had before it the Council’s draft Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019 – 2024 and accompanying Briefing Note which had been prepared by Peter Russell (the Council’s Executive Projects Manager (Housing)).

Councillor Honeywood, Portfolio Holder for Housing at the Council, was welcomed to the meeting for this item.

Members were informed that the draft Homelessness Reduction and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-2024 had been approved by the Housing Portfolio Holder to go out to public consultation and that the consultation period had been running since 6 January 2020 and would run for six weeks. As part of the consultation process, it had been suggested that the draft strategy be presented to the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Members were further informed that Section 1 Homelessness Act 2002 required the Council to carry out a review of homelessness in the District and to formulate and publish a homelessness strategy based upon the conclusions in that review and predicted future levels of homelessness in the District. The Council was required to comply with the provisions of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017) in assessing, preventing and tackling homelessness in the District.

The Homelessness Reduction & Rough Sleeping Strategy had been drafted following the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. This had been the most significant change to homelessness administration and legislation since the first homelessness legislation was passed in 1977. The strategy had been developed to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in the District at a time when homelessness was increasing locally and nationally with associated social and financial costs.

The strategy set out the national and local strategic setting for homelessness and the causes and demographics of homelessness and rough sleeping in the District. It also set out the challenges the Council faced in tackling homelessness and rough sleeping locally and how homelessness was an issue that needed to be tackled in partnership with other agencies. The council, as a community leader, could facilitate earlier prevention and better partnership working.

The strategy identified four key strategic priorities to reduce homelessness and rough sleeping in the District as follows:

• Earlier Intervention and Education
• Better Partnership and Holistic Working
• Increasing the Supply of Suitable Accommodation
• Exploring New Ways to Prevent and Tackle Rough Sleeping.

Once the consultation period expires, the Council would produce an action plan to deliver the priorities identified in the strategy. 

As part of the consultation process, it was felt that the Community Leadership Overview & Scrutiny Committee should have the opportunity to scrutinise the strategy and make any recommendations to the Portfolio Holder for Housing as necessary. 

Following the information provided, Members were given the opportunity to ask questions which were responded to by Peter Russell (Executive Projects Manager (Housing)), Tim R Clarke (Head of Housing and Environmental Health) and Councillor P Honeywood (Housing Portfolio Holder). Officers agreed to re-examine the section of the Strategy referencing the levels of deprivation in the area.  A typographical error on page 27 of the report was also highlighted to officers.

Following discussion, it was moved by Councillor Davidson, seconded by Councillor Davis and RECOMMENDED TO CABINET that the various housing delivery methods available to the Council be looked into and that a detailed presentation be provided to all Councillors by Housing Officers and the Portfolio Holder for Housing in order to discuss the range of options available.