Agenda item

Housing Services - (C-048-2021-22) -to approve the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2022 - 2027 (the strategy).

(1)        The Cabinet considered and agreed the five proposed priorities and associated themes within the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022 – 2027 at Appendix 1of the report.

(2)        The Cabinet considered the findings and approved the publication of the  Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review 2020/21 at Appendix 2 of the report. 

(3)        The Cabinet considered the findings and approved the publication of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Stage 2 Consultation Report at Appendix 3 of the report.

(4)        The Cabinet delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder for Housing Services to consider and approve the annual update of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Action Plan.

(5)        The Cabinet agreed that the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2022-2027 be reviewed in the Council year leading up to 2027.

The Housing Services Portfolio Holder, Councillor H Whitbread, introduced the report. She noted that the Cabinet was being asked to accept the recommendations set out in this report and approve the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2022 - 2027 and the evidence base that supports the Strategy including the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping review and the Stage 2 Consultation Report.

The current strategy was published in August 2018 and was due for renewal in April 2022 as is the Housing Allocations Scheme, the Tenancy Policy and the overarching Housing Strategy.

A review of all four strategies and policies commenced in May 2021 the draft Strategy was being presented to Cabinet along with the draft Allocations Scheme and draft Tenancy Policy for the same 5-year period.

Councillor Sunger commented that we should be as helpful as we could when taking a person through the application process and not let anyone fall through the gaps. He was told that this was part of the report.

Councillor Patel said we needed a larger amount of partnership work to make this successful. He thanked the officers taking this forward.

Councillor Philip proposed the same change to recommendation 5 as he had proposed for recommendation 4 for the Allocations policy report; that he would like the policy to be reviewed in the Council year leading up to 2027, as it makes more administrative sense. This was agreed.

Councillor Bedford noted that in the report (under urgent housing need) that 258 household had lost their homes. Have we done any work to find out why they had lost their home and if there was trend, to help us plan? He postulated that part of this, going forward, would be cost of fuel, and could we advise them on how they could best proceed to save money. Councillor H Whitbread said that this was an important point he made. There were many causes of homelessness and fuel poverty was just one of the reasons.

Decision:

(1)        The Cabinet considered and agreed the five proposed priorities and associated themes within the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022 – 2027 at Appendix 1of the report.

(2)        The Cabinet considered the findings and approved the publication of the  Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review 2020/21 at Appendix 2 of the report. 

(3)        The Cabinet considered the findings and approved the publication of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Stage 2 Consultation Report at Appendix 3 of the report.

(4)        The Cabinet delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder for Housing Services to consider and approve the annual update of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Action Plan.

(5)        The Cabinet agreed that the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for 2022-2027 be reviewed in the Council year leading up to 2027.

Reasons for proposed decision:

To enable the Council to publish the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022 -2027, along with the review and the consultation report.

Other options for action:

(i)         Not to agree the recommendations for the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-2027;

(ii)        To make alternative recommendations for the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-2027   (subject to further consultation where appropriate); 

(iii)       Not to approve the publication of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review;

(iv)       Not to approve the publication of the Public Consultation Outcome Report.